Friday the 13th

By Donna

Today is Friday, February 13th. To some it is a day of bad luck. Paraskevidekatriaphobics — people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th. Crazy to think, huh? And how in the world do you pronounce Paraskevidekatriaphobics.

I was raised by a very superstitious mom, now she didn't have the unpronounceable affliction Paraskevidekatriaphobics but she was weary of Friday the 13th none the less. For instance, if my mom saw a black cat, we had to go around. There was no way she would let anyone of us cross it's path. If she found a clover patch, she would spend hours searching for that lucky four leaf clover. My brother and I had to help search (Fun, right? - not!). And I'll give you a lucky guess who taught us about the "step on crack, break your mother's back" bit. Gosh, the list could go on and on.

Because of my mom's superstitions, I have made a point of saying Friday the 13th is a lucky day. I really think that if you believe strongly in something, you can be your own self fulfilling prophecy. So hence, I say Friday the 13th will be a good luck day.

Well, I combed the world wide web and gather 13 superstitions/facts on Friday the 13th:

Friday the 13th is the most wide spread superstition in the United States.
8% of Americans suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobics.
It is believed if a person's name adds up to 13, he or she will be cursed with devil's bad luck: Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson
Many buildings do not have a 13th floor (remember wondering when I was a kid why in the elevators, the buttons for each floor went from 12 to 14).
A lot of cities skip 13 in the street avenue/boulevard numbers.
The Chinese believe the number 13 is a lucky number as did the ancient Egyptians.
Hindus believed it was always unlucky for 13 people to gather in one place.
Vikings believed the number 13 was bad luck because of Loki, the god of mischief, was the 13th god in Valhalla banquet gone wrong.
There were 13 present at the Last Supper in Bible. In the Bible, one of the thirteen betrayed Jesus.
The Knights of Templar were rounded up on Friday, October 13, 1307 by King Philip IV of France for torture and execution.
The "Death" card is number 13 in a tarot deck.
Supposedly, Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on a Friday.
Last but by no means least, some historians say the number 13 was believed unlucky by early Christian patriarchs because it represented femininity — What a crock of BS, right?