October Frights Blog Hop Day 4

Friday 13th

Superstition leads us to believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. So many people refuse to do anything on this day, scared that something may happen to them.

We all know that the number 13 is consider to be unlucky but why is it when placed on a Friday it makes people so fearful?

The superstition surrounding this day may have arisen in the Middle Ages, "originating from the story of Jesus' last supper and crucifixion in which there were 13 individuals present in the Upper Room on the 13th of Nisan Maundy Thursday, the night before his death on Good Friday. While there is evidence of both Friday and the number 13 being considered unlucky, there is no record of the two items being referred to as especially unlucky in conjunction before the 19th century.

Also, events including the great flood during the time of Noah, Eve tempting Adam with the forbidden fruit and Jesus' death all apparently happened on Fridays.

Others believe it's linked to Norse mythology, which tells how Loke, the demigod of mischief turned up uninvited, joining 12 others and taking their number to 13.

In some Spanish speaking countries it is Tuesday 13th that is considered unlucky and in Italy it is Friday the 17th.

Those who fear the number 13 itself are said to suffer from triskaidekaphobia.

The fear of Friday 13th even has a name - friggatriskaidekaphobia, which combines a fear of Fridays with the perception that number 13 is seriously unlucky.

Here is a list of things that have happened on Friday 13th:

1. On Friday the 13th, 1969, a black cat darted onto the field during a decisive late season matchup between the Cubs and the Mets, both jockeying to lead their division. As the story goes, the cat ignored the Mets and stared into the Cubs dugout for 10 seconds before disappearing. The Cubs crumbled after that game, losing 18 of their next 27 games and toppling from first place in the division. They didn't really shake that curse until last season—and then lost to the Mets in the playoffs.
2. At 13:13 military time on Friday the 13th in 2010, a 13-year-old boy was allegedly struck by lightning in Suffolk, England. He survived with only a minor burn. And from that moment on, he had, hands down, the best party story of all time.
3. In September of 1996, Tupac Shakur died on Friday the 13th, almost a week after he was shot four times in a drive-by. Of course, scores of conspiracy theorists maintain that he's not actually dead. 
4. On Friday, October 13, 1972, a plane full of Uruguayan rugby players crashed into the snowy Chilean mountains. Only 27 of the original 45 passengers survived. The bad luck continued: without supplies, the survivors had to eat their dead teammates. A few weeks later, an avalanche killed eight more. And the 16 remaining survivors were not rescued until the end of December. Horrifying. 
5. In 1923, the Hollywood sign was unveiled on July 13. Originally, it said "Hollywoodland," and it advertised a new housing development. So you could say the entire movie industry, symbolized by this sign and symbolizing vanity, commercialism, sell-outs, etc., etc., has its origins on Friday the 13th. Makes sense.
6. Friday 13th August, 1976, was particularly unlucky for New York man Daz Baxter. Having elected to stay in bed to ward off bad luck, the floor of his apartment block collapsed and he fell six storeys to his death.
7. A full moon on Friday February 13th, 1987, drove troubled Robert Bullard, 21, to attempt suicide by putting his head in a gas oven.
   Not only was his methodology flawed – suicide by natural gassing is virtually impossible since Britain moved from lethal coke gas to less dangerous natural gas – but a flicked light switch caused an explosion which injured his mother and a policeman and caused £35,000.
   Robert was unharmed.
8. Friday 13 February 1998 was simply business as usual for Mancunian John Sheridan, dubbed Britain’s unluckiest man after once having his car stolen five times in one day, making 16 trips to casualty in two years, seeing eight TVs explode in six months and losing out on a £4000 lottery win when he put the ticket in the washing machine with his jeans.
9. On Friday 13th October 13, 2006, 36 inches of snow fell on upstate New York. The ensuing chaos claimed three lives and incurred $130 million of damage.

I could be here all day listing all the different things that have happened on Friday the 13th. So many will put it down to that day being bad luck, but what would happen if we compared it to other days?

I personally do not believe in this superstition. My Nan often celebrates her birthday on Friday 13th and she is very lucky... she has me as a granddaughter :)

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