According to the Stress Management Center about 17 million people are affected by the fear of today. Some won’t fly, do business, drive, and even some people will not get out of bed.
Fear of Friday 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, quite a mouthful.
So where do this originate? There does not seem to be any particular event but some of the following are citied.
- The Last Supper, with stories that Judas was the thirteenth guest, and that the Crucifixion of Jesus occurred Friday.
- That the biblical Eve offered the fruit to Adam on a Friday, and that the slaying of Abel happened on a Friday.
- That it started on Friday, October 13, 1307, the date that many Knights Templar were simultaneously arrested in France, by agents of King Philip IV.
However before 1900 there is no record of Friday 13th being considered a unlucky day. Friday was considered the unluckiest day and 13 the unluckiest number, but they were not put together, as they are now.
According to Fernsler, numerologists consider 12 a “complete” number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus.
In exceeding 12 by 1, Fernsler said 13’s association with bad luck “has to do with just being a little beyond completeness. The number becomes restless or squirmy.”
All this Friday 13th stuff is confined generally to the English speaking world. Many others consider Tuesday 13th the same way, take your pick.
I cannot find any famous people that died on a Friday 13th, however these two were born on one: Margaret Thatcher and Fidel Castro – perhaps bad luck for some.
According to a British Medical Journal article more acciedents happen on Friday 13th, more car acciedents, even though less people drive.
My conclusion – if you think something “bad” will happen to you it will and if you don’t…
The next Friday the 13th is July 2007 – the day the next Harry Potter movie is released.
Have a good day!