Friday the 13th


Friday the 13th is my favorite day, but some consider it most unlucky.  When I asked people why they think of it as an unlucky day many didn’t really know, but this fear is common enough that we have a name for it paraskevidekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th.

We do not know exactly how this day came to be considered unlucky, but there are a few theories.

Biblical tradition tells us that there were 12 apostles and Jesus at the last supper, so 13 people sat down together.  Judas then betrayed Jesus and Jesus was crucified on what is believed to be a Friday ( some religions believe it was actually Friday the 13th).

Interestingly Vikings told a similar story of 12 Gods eating together at a great feast in Valhalla when Loki the God of Mischief arrived uninvited. He proceeded to encourage Hod the God of darkness to shoot Baldur the God of Joy with mistletoe tipped arrow, this caused the earth to fall into darkness.

On Friday October 13, 1307, King Phillip IV of France ordered all of the Knights of Templar to be rounded up and imprisoned, they heard of the impending arrests and some were able to escape. Those who were arrested  were accused of multiple crimes that included treason, heresy, and worshipping false idols.  Among those arrested was Jacques DeMolay the last Grand Master of the order. These men where tortured until they confessed to the crimes they were accused of, however no amount of torture would persuade Jacques DeMolay to confess and King Phillip ordered him burned at the stake.

Some biblical scholars believe that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit and Abel was slain by his brother on Friday the 13th.

In more modern day Buckingham Palace was bombed during the blitz on  Friday September 13th 1940 with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth inside.

A Chilean Air Force plane crashed on Friday October 13th 1972 and passengers were stranded for 70 days, forcing them to eat their dead in order to survive.

The U.S stock market crashed on Friday October 13, 1989. This is often referred to as the mini crash and was caused by a reaction to a news story telling of the breakdown of a 6.75 billion dollar leveraged buyout deal for UAL, the parent company of United Airlines.

If you are one who suffers from fear of Friday the 13 or if you like me enjoy this day it is interesting to know how superstitions start. Now I think I will go pet my black cat.

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