Paraskavedekatriaphobia. Just trying to pronounce the word is scary. It refers to the fear of Friday the 13th, and it's been said that as many as 21 million Americans may suffer from it, not to mention all the other ones in the rest of the world!
There are many origins for the date being seen as the unluckiest of the year. One is that Christ was the 13th guest at the last supper and was crucified on a Friday. Tradition also has it that Friday the 13th was the day Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit and the day Noah's flood began. For centuries, no ship would sail on Friday the 13th.
The Knights Templar rose to prominence in Europe between 1096 and 1307. Their downfall came on Friday 13th October 1307. This date saw the catastrophic destruction of the Knights Templar by King Philip of France and his puppet Pope Clement V.
I’ve read that there are no houses in Paris with the number 13 and many New York hotels do not number the 13th floor or have rooms numbered 13.
In Brazil instead, Friday the 13th is a magic day because each time it becomes the festival of Macumba, a mixture of ancestral religion and rituals. I’d rather party with the Brazilians rather than spend my day at home in superstitious fear tomorrow!
And then my personal Friday 13th unlucky day was already yesterday, Wednesday 11th! My dad had an emergency operation (fortunately today he’s already recovering!), my son broke his nose playing football, my daughter got her forehead badly bruised by a “flying” ball in the playground and my husband’s car slid on black ice on his way to work and the radiator and the front of the car were smashed. Luckily he was unhurt. So, what else could go wrong? Actually, plenty more...
The Knights Templar rose to prominence in Europe between 1096 and 1307. Their downfall came on Friday 13th October 1307. This date saw the catastrophic destruction of the Knights Templar by King Philip of France and his puppet Pope Clement V.
I’ve read that there are no houses in Paris with the number 13 and many New York hotels do not number the 13th floor or have rooms numbered 13.
In Brazil instead, Friday the 13th is a magic day because each time it becomes the festival of Macumba, a mixture of ancestral religion and rituals. I’d rather party with the Brazilians rather than spend my day at home in superstitious fear tomorrow!
And then my personal Friday 13th unlucky day was already yesterday, Wednesday 11th! My dad had an emergency operation (fortunately today he’s already recovering!), my son broke his nose playing football, my daughter got her forehead badly bruised by a “flying” ball in the playground and my husband’s car slid on black ice on his way to work and the radiator and the front of the car were smashed. Luckily he was unhurt. So, what else could go wrong? Actually, plenty more...
However I think that tomorrow is the perfect time - the first Friday the 13th of the year - to face all those fears. Stare superstition in the face. Break a mirror. Walk under a ladder. Be bold! After all we are in the year 2009!
21 comments:
Any blog with a heart in it is okay in my book!
Dropped by, and stayed to read your moving account of Eluana Englaro. She was older than myself, by two and a half months.
I am free of Friday the 13th superstition. I try to subscribe to not letting outside irrelevancies impact how I perceive a day. Of course, if it's also a full moon...
I'm so sorry to hear of your bad luck yesterday! Today HAD to be better, right?
I've never had a superstition about Friday the 13th, although many do. I think a lot of hotels here don't have a 13th floor, not just New York hotels. Thanks for the history lesson--I love stuff like that!
Hugs, Beth
I hope your family are recovering.
I have an appointment at the hairdressers tomorrow!!
Oh what a terrible day yesterday! Hopefully you've got it all out of the way and can enjoy a normal day tomorrow!
The other week I was reading the Romanian newspapers and got the impression there was another day (not Friday 13th) that they're supersitious about. Something silly like a Wednesday 19th or something equally random, I wish I could remember what it was!
Thank you for your very kind comments on my photo today! I was surprised, a few people really liked it, I hadn't thought it was that great! It's funny what other people see in your work, eh?!
Have a lovely weekend (Fri 13th notwithstanding!).
Bad luck for yesterday and do hope your dad is recovering well, I've been a particularly suspicious person, but Friday 13th just sticks in peoples minds for some reason.
Take care
Yasmin
xx
Eek, sorry to hear you had such a dreadful day yesterday. Surely things can only get better now!
In Suffolk where I used to live it is common for there to be no house number 13 in a street. I'm glad no-one is superstitious about being 13 years old, because all of us have to be 13 at some point!!
Thanks for this post hon. I never knew exactly how Friday the 13th began. (Hugs)Indigo
@Ruby: It's funny how you mention being afraid of turning 13! When we were 12 my best friend and I were convinced that we wouldn't have survived our 13th year! I do not rememebr if it was for fear of the number 13 or just some silliness!
@ Yasmin: I think the movie has playd quite a big role in exagerating this superstion in the last year. In Italy the number 13 use to bring luck, the 17 was unlucky! Dad is getting better, thanks and my boy is having a small op next week to straighten his poor nose!
@Jackie: I've got a hospital appointment tomorrow (Friady the 13th!) but I'm not sure I can make it as it snow a lot here today and tomorrow everything will be frozen! Touch wood! Your photo was really great. I'm thinking of "stealing" it and making a poster out of it! May I?
@Jane: Hairdresser? Be careful that she/he won't shave your head or colour your hait blue! Have fun!
@Laura: I do not mind Friday the 13th either and I love full moon...I love the moon in general...Thanks for your comments.
@Steve: Pity about the cake. Looked really yummy. Thanks for stopping by. By the way, I've got some lovely friend in Whitley Bay. Love the place.
@Beth: I think snow and ice are worse than Friday the 13th. I did not know about hotels not having the 13th floor until I read it in an Italian magazine! Sound daft, don't you think? Ciao.
@Indigo. My pleasure. Hope you're well. Have a nice weekend.
I've heard that there are some cultures (of course, I've forgotten what those are) where 13 is considered a luck number. I'll join you with the Brazilians!
But oh! all those accidents and troubles! I hope everyone's okay now and that you've gotten some rest. My prayers for you and your family, Antonella.
sorry Wednesday was such a bad day for you and your family. Hope today is better. i never think about Friday 13 usually, but I would be with the Brazilians!
That sounds like the worst day ever. I am relieved for you that your loved ones are all ok today even if a little worse for the wear. I hope today brings you the opposite.....lots of GOOD luck!
xoxo
ym
Really interesting! I went through a time in my life a few years ago where every house I moved into or even had to go to appointments to was number 13. They turned out to be the loveliest homes in great neighbourhoods. Not afraid of 13 any more. Looking forward to catching up on your previous post.
Helenna
I dont trust in superstition but all is possible and i respect people who love to believe in this think. however i send you for 2/14/2009 a good "S. Valentino". hallo, Enzo.
I am sorry for your bad luck the other day... I hope you are having a good week-end!!!
It's funny, I don't think that in Italy anybody cares about any friday 13rd... I'd rather think of friday 17th to be a most popular bad luck day! In fact, in Italy number 13 is considered LUCKY!
Please let me have news about your dad ! Just in second line news about your sons ! Last but not the least, about you !
P.S. Giorgio Scerbanenco my thriller author preferred ;-)
@Fabrizio: My dad is fine, thanks. And my boy is having a small op tomorrow on his crooked nose! I'm enjoying Scerbanenco's book very much. Take care.
@Valeria: You're right, 13 has been a sort of lucky number in Italy for quite a while. Things changed a bit with the series of movies "Friday the 13th". I think it's the American influence, like with Halloween.
@Enzo: I do not like superstition either, but I tend to "toccare ferro" (touch iron), in this country "touch wood" (toccare legno)and some times both!
@Helenna: Thanks for poppin in. Glad to hear that your no. 13s have brought you good luck. I strongly believe that we make our own fortune! Ciao.
@YM: We survived last week. Let's hope next will be better, thanks.
@CGP: Maybe you should write a short, satyrical poem about it. Just for fun.
@Hilda: Thanks for your prayers. Much appreciated. I'd rather partu with the Brazilians too.
Hi! I am new to your blog and am enjoying it very much! By the way, our gorgeous 15.5 year old son was born on Friday 13th in August 1993. This has proven to us that it is a wonerfully lucky and prosperous day!
Best wishes,
Mervat.
Post a Comment