Watch Out! Friday is the 13th

I don’t consider myself superstitious. Despite having walked under ladders, broken mirrors and spilled salt, I have had pretty good luck in my life (knock on wood).

Lots of people, maybe even you, harbor superstitions based on folklore, family beliefs, or just plain bad luck for which you have assumed a cause. Since this Friday falls on the 13th, a review of the persistent superstition surrounding this date is timely.

Fear of this date isn’t exactly rational. But couple the fact that many view 13 as an unlucky number with the fact that Friday is considered an inauspicious day to start anything, and you have double trouble. There is even a term for the fear of Friday the 13th: paraskavedekatriaphobia. (Typing this word triggered my own fear of typos).

According to a highly reliable third-hand reference on an obscure website, the number 13 has the following sinister associations:

* Lizzy Borden uttered a total of 13 words at her trial. (She also gave her mother 30 whacks, but nobody is afraid of Friday the 30th.)

* There are 13 steps leading to the gallows. (When was the last time you saw a gallows?)

* There are 13 knots in a hangman’s noose. (See above.)

* In 1970, Apollo 13 was the 13th mission launched from pad #39 (13 x 3). The mission was aborted after an explosion occurred in the fuel cell of the service module. The rocket had left launching pad at 13:13 CST and the date was April 13th. (This one leaves me speechless.)

Although Friday the 13th arouses a particular anxiety, ANY Friday is viewed as unlucky for some. Snopes.com lists a few superstitious sayings from history:

* “If you have been ill, don’t get up for the first time on a Friday.” (Call work and tell then you won’t be in until Monday.)

* “Servants who go into their situations on a Friday, never go to stay.” (Take heed, all you footmen and scullery maids.)

* “If you hear anything new on a Friday, it gives you another wrinkle on your face and adds a year to your age.” (If someone turns on CNN, close your eyes, cover your ears and say “LALALALALALALA.”)

* “When thirteen persons meet in a room, one of them will die within a year.” (Maybe the Apostles should have invited a stablehand to make an even 14 at the Last Supper.)

Even though I mock, I do have sympathy for those of you who suffer from that phobia I mentioned earlier (don’t make me type it again). Therefore, I’m happy to share some good news with you. June 13 is the ONLY Friday the 13th in 2008.

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