Since tomorrow is Friday the 13th, it got me to thinking about the origin of the stigma behind the date. This date is known to be a bad luck day, but I enjoy it. It means a night of scary movies for me, including the movie by the same name. It seems that in some walks of life, Friday is deemed an unlucky day, and currently 13 is considered by many to be an unlucky number. These two together create the ultimate bad luck day. No one knows the exact origin of the stigma, but there are a lot of theories.
Possible Theories Linking Friday and 13 to Bad Luck:
• Jesus was crucified on a Friday and there were 13 diners at the Last Supper.
• A tale in Norse mythology suggests that Frigga, the goddess of love and fertility was banished from her people when she failed to convert to Christianity. It is thought that Friday was named for her. They called her a witch, so she gathered every Friday with 11 other witches and the devil (total of 13) to curse the people. Friday was known as “Witches’ Sabbath.”
• The Templar Knights (protectors of Christian pilgrims during the Crusades) were arrested by King Philip in France on Friday, October 13, 1307.
Trivia:
• Changing your bed on Friday will result in bad dreams.
• Leaving for a trip on Friday is a bad omen.
• Many cities do not have a 13th Street.
• Many buildings do not have a 13th floor.
• Room 13 is usually skipped in hotels, as is floor 13 in many high rises.
• There are 13 witches in a coven.
• There are 13 coils in a hangman’s noose.
• The 13th Tarot Card features the Grim Reaper and is known as the Death Card.
• Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy, and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.
This all seems a little spooky to me. Coincidence…or not? I’m not really superstitious, but on this particular day, I think I’ll refrain from opening umbrellas indoors, stepping on cracks, and walking under ladders.
After all, with my recurring bad luck, I need all the help I can get…
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