Happy that is Friday? Even if it is Friday the 13th?

When we hear the date ‘Friday 13th’, positive images are not the first thing that spring to mind!

Even if you’re not superstitious you still probably associate the date with bad luck, which begs the question: Is Friday 13th really an unlucky day?

Friday 13th 

On a normal week, most of us look forward to Friday as it’s the end of a working week and the weekend has almost begun!

However, the few times a year Friday 13th occurs, it’s often reported that bad things happen. Negative events that occur on Friday 13th often leave a bigger impression on us, and we subconsciously become more aware of the date.

Some notable incidents that have occurred on Friday 13th throughout history are:

• Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden 
• Before Jesus was crucified, there were thirteen people present for the last supper. History tells us Jesus was crucified on Friday 13th 
• Admission to hospital due to a transport accident increases by 52% according to Sky News 
• US rapper Tupac died on Friday 13th, 1996 

Fact: People who fear Friday 13th have paraskavedekatriaphobia and more than 60 million people worldwide fear Friday 13th!

Number 13 

The number 13 itself is also thought to be unlucky. Even though there is no proof of this, superstition and fear for the number has led many to avoid it. Did you know that…

• Many hotels do not have a 13th floor 
• Many streets do not have a number 13 house 
• Often, brides refuse to get married on 13th 
• Hindu’s associate a gathering of 13 people to be unlucky 
• There are 13 full moons in a year 
• Many hospitals do not have a surgery number 13 room 
• Continental, KLM and Air France do not have a 13th isle 

And the list goes on!

Fact: People who fear the number 13 have triskaidekaphobia.

Here, then, are a few more of the most common superstitions.

Don't walk under that ladder! 

Frankly, this superstition is pretty practical. Who wants to be responsible for stumbling and knocking a carpenter off his perch? But one theory holds that this superstition arises from a Christian belief in the Holy Trinity: Since a ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle, "breaking" that triangle was blasphemous.
Then again, another popular theory is that a fear of walking under a ladder has to do with its resemblance to a medieval gallows. We're sticking with the safety-first explanation for this one.

Black cats crossing your path 

 As companion animals for humans for thousands of years, cats play all sorts of mythological roles. In
ancient Egypt, cats were revered; today, Americans collectively keep more than 81 million cats as pets.
So why keep a black cat out of your path? Most likely, this superstition arises from old beliefs in witches and their animal familiars, which were often said to take the form of domestic animals like cats.

Be careful with that mirror 

According to folklore, breaking a mirror is a surefire way to doom yourself to seven years of bad luck. The superstition seems to arise from the belief that mirrors don't just reflect your image; they hold bits of your soul. That belief led people in the old days of the American South to cover mirrors in a house when someone died, lest their soul be trapped inside.

Like the number three, the number seven is often associated with luck. Seven years is a long time to be unlucky, which may be why people have come up with counter-measures to free themselves after breaking a mirror. These include touching a piece of the broken mirror to a tombstone or grinding the mirror shards into powder.

A rabbit's foot will bring you luck 

Talismans and amulets are a time-honored way of fending off evil; consider the crosses and garlic that are supposed to keep vampires at bay. Rabbit feet as talismans may hark back to early Celtic tribes in Britain. They may also arise from hoodoo, a form of African-American folk magic and superstition that blends Native American, European and African tradition. While the association with Friday 13th and bad luck remains unproven, there may always be uncertainty associated with the date.

If you are feeling anxious about Friday 13th remember to take everything one step at a time, and tell yourself that bad things can happen on any day of the year. If you do get bad luck this Friday, remember that good can always come from it. In fact, astrology actually associates the number 13 with endings and transitions. 

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About Peartree Languages

Peartree Languages is a language school located in Cardiff.