A Friday the 13th will occur at least once a year, but today is the third time the 13th has fallen on a Friday in 2009. Three is the maximum amount possible in any given year.
The irrational and disabling fear of today's date is called Paraskevidekatriaphobia. Symptoms of the phobia include; shortness of breath, increased heart rate, hot or cold flashes, feeling like you've lost your sense of self, and numbness or tingling sensations.
While true cases of true Paraskevidekatriaphobia are rare. There is no denying that there are many people who consider today's date to be an unlucky one. One source places the number of people affected in some way between 17 and 21 million. And that's just here in the United States.
Determining the origins of the fear surrounding today's date is a difficult task. The earliest known documentation exists in a biography about Giancho Rossini written in 1869. But it is very likely that the folklore was passed down orally for centuries before that.
It is commonly accepted that two ancient associations of bad luck with the number 13 eventually became intertwined and led to the superstitions that exist today.
The first comes from a Norse myth in which 12 of the Gods were having a dinner party together at Valhalla. Loki, known ambiguously as both a helpful servant to the Gods and a trickster, had not been invited. Angered by this, Loki took on the shape of an old hag and showed up to the party. Once there, he managed to convince Holdur, the blind God of darkness, to shoot his brother Baldur, God of joy and gladness. Baldur died and the whole earth mourned in darkness.
In many places around the world it is still considered terrible luck to have 13 eat together and many believe that the first to rise from such a table will be the first to die.
The second association comes from the story of the Last Supper. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the last supper. It is also well known among Christians that Christ was crucified on a Friday. And some biblical scholars believe that Abel was slain by Cane on a Friday the Thirteenth.
Another association comes from ancient Rome. They believed that witches often gathered in groups of twelve, leaving a thirteenth place open for the Devil.
Between both Christian and Pagan associations of the number 13 with misfortune, it is no wonder that society continues to regard today's date with a sense of foreboding. Some Numerologists have pointed out that its position after twelve may play a factor as well.
There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs in the zodiac, Jesus had 12 apostles. There were 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Gods of Olympus and 12 labors of Hercules. The number 12 seems to signify a sense of completion in the human psyche. Therefore, 13 seems to have a sense of restlessness attached to it.
Indeed, even in today's culture there still seems to be an ominous sense surrounding the number. Many airports will not have a 13th gate. And hospitals and hotels will routinely skip over a 13th room. In Europe, oftentimes the house between number 12 and number 14 will be 12 1/2. And sometimes the designers of high rise buildings will go as far as to skip 13 when numbering the floors.
Whether this is more often due to quirky tradition or true superstition is debatable. But there is no doubt that the number 13 steadfastly remains associated with mishaps, setbacks, and tragedy in our minds.
If this article has managed to spook you into putting some stock into the superstitions, there are many ways to counter your bad luck. A Google search for "bad luck remedy" will return about 384,000 results. They range from simple and concise to outrageously complex and lengthy.
Yeah, today is my lucky day. Good article. I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteLooked at 383,013 postings in Google before I realized that today was a good day like all others. Thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteGrandpa, I do believe that makes you the king of speed readers!
ReplyDelete