Saci

Well, D came home on Halloween eve from school with some interesting information about a pesky little folkloric figure named Saci.  As it turns out, his "official" day of celebration is October 31.  The "Dia do Saci" (Day of Saci) was just instituted by the Brazilian government in 2004...perhaps in an effort to hold on to Brazilian traditions rather than import foreign ones to celebrate???

D told us Saci is a troublemaker.  He steals those missing socks you can never match, lets the cows out and hides the things you never can find.  Further internet reading confirmed that parents use Saci to motivate their children, "If you don't clean up your room, Saci will take your toys."  Handy.

He also happens to only have one leg and smokes a pipe.  And although he causes a lot of trouble, people seem to find him endearing.