Friday The 13th: Nothing But Superstition & Malarkey

Today is Friday the 13th, a day riddled with superstition. In fact, some say that thinking Friday the 13th is an “unlucky day” is the most widely-held superstition in our country.

But not for me, I say bring it on! I was diagnosed with cancer on Friday the 13th of March, 1998 and I’m still sitting here writing this. Bad luck, fate, whatever you want to call it, I’m not buying it. It’s folk-lore that people give way to much power to.

Asinine fact about today: It’s been estimated that businesses lose over $900 million on Friday the 13th because people will not fly or do business they would normally.

What is fear of Friday the 13th?

Friggatriskaidekaphobianoun - The fear of "Friday the 13th"

Etymology: From Frigga (Norse goddess associated with Friday) + triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13). [AllWords]

That pretty much sums it up; people have developed an actual mental disorder in which they become worried about Friday the 13th. What happens when you are convinced something bad will happen? Your brain will find something to classify as 'bad' to rationalize your fear. And by expecting bad things to happen your brain will magnify anything bad that actually does happen to you.

Bad things happen all the time.. If you're looking for bad luck on Friday the 13th, I bet you'll find it.

There are all sorts of theories on where the origin of this superstition comes from, some from religion, some from numerology, mythology. Basically what it all boils down to is that some bad things happened. And guess what? Sometimes they happen on the 13th.

Here’s a list of some Friday the 13th superstitions from Buzzle.

• If you were born on Friday the 13th your entire life will be marked by bad luck.
• You should never cut your hair on Friday the 13th, as it results in a death in the family.
• If you change your bed on Friday, you will see bad dreams throughout the night.
• If you were to pass a funeral procession on Friday the 13th, you will die the very next day.
• If you were to leave the calendar on Friday the 13th, you will be killed by a witch the very next day.
• Cutting you nails on Friday the 13th is again a bad omen which can bring you some serious bad luck.
• This is a very bad day for new beginning, and thus starting a new business on this day will only call for a disaster.
• Similarly, starting out on a trip on Friday is considered to bring misfortune for you.
• According to a deep rooted superstition, Friday the 13th is a very bad day to consult the astrologer.
• Ships that set sail on Friday 13th are much more likely to end in a disaster.

So, looks like I’m getting a haircut, trimming my nails, changing my sheets, opening a business, finding a funeral, and if I can swing it, start a boat voyage. Maybe I'll walk under a ladder and see if I can find a black cat too. Take that bad luck; let’s see what you've got!

Here is the Snopes article on Friday the 13th for those of you who want to dig a little deeper into the ridiculousness of this fear.