Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th may be the most superstitious day of the year - So, if you're having a bad day, don't beat yourself up, you know whom to blame.

Did you know, For a month to have a Friday the 13th, the month must begin on a Sunday. :O

Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition and has made it across to most parts of the world. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday.

Very little is known about the origins of the day's notoriety. Some historians believe that the superstitions surrounding it arose in the late 19th century. The superstition surrounding this day may have arisen in the Middle Ages, "originating from the story of Jesus' last supper and crucifixion" in which there were 13 individuals present in the Upper Room on the 13th of Nisan Maundy Thursday, the night before his death on Good Friday.

While there is evidence of both Friday and the number 13 being considered unlucky, there is no record of the two items being referred to as especially unlucky in conjunction before the 19th century.

The fear of Friday the 13th is also called friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia. If Fred and George form Harry Potter read this, they'd definitely make it into a tongue twister, why don't you try it out?

Triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13 is even more widespread. So much so that many high-rise buildings, hotels and hospitals skip the 13th floor and many airports do not have gates numbered 13. In many parts of the world, having 13 people at the dinner table is considered bad luck.

A study in the British Medical Journal, published in 1993, concluded that there "is a significant level of traffic-related incidences on Friday the 13th as opposed to a random day, such as Friday the 6th, in the UK.

The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock was born on August 13, 1899 – so Friday, August 13, 1999 would have been his 100th birthday. He made his directorial debut in 1922 with a movie called Number 13. Unfortunately, the film was doomed from the start and never got off the ground due to financial troubles. Eerie?

Comment if you know of any freak accidents or mishaps that may have happened with you or your friends on Friday the 13th. Also, today don't walk or step outside, you may die. Don't eat you may get food poisoning, perhaps don't breathe, you may have a better chance of not dying? :P

Happy Friday the 13th!

#fiction #misc