Paraskavedekatriaphobia? No, Just Scared of Friday the 13th

Are you a paraskavedekatriaphobic? If you are, you share a fear of Friday the Thirteenth with many people in the U.S., Germany and France. Are you superstitious? Personally, my only fear is that someone will ask me to learn to spell it.

Now that we know WHAT we are, Shall we explore WHY we fear Friday the Thirteenth? Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with a weirdo named Jason.

Actually, there are a number of trains of thought as to why this day is given such an ominous distinction. Some have to do with the number, while others have to do with the day of the week. Put them together, and superstitions arise.

In Numerology, twelve is considered a "complete number". There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus.

By exceeding twelve by one, thirteen goes just a little beyond "completeness, making it a wonky, squirmy number.

Fear of 13 is strong in today's world. Most, up to 80% of buildings don't have a thirteenth floor. Hospitals routinely do not have a room 13, nor do many hotels.

Streets in Florence, Italy do not have 13 as a house number, they go 12, 12 1/2, 14.

In France, socialites known as "quatorziens", or "fourteeners" once made themselves available to be the fourteenth guest at dinner parties, to keep the party from a dire fate. 

In Norse Mythology, fear of 13 appears in a tale about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla.  In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding.

In ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of twelve, with the thirteenth guest being Satan.

The downfall of the The Knights Templar began when King Phillip ordered the mass arrest of the Knights on October 13, 1307, Friday the Thirteenth. 

In the Bible:
-Judas is the thirteenth guest at the Last Supper.
-Jesus was crucified on a Friday the Thirteenth.

**Clarification: Jesus was arrested on Weds.,the 11th, and was placed in his tomb on Friday,  approximately 40 hours after his arrest.

-Abel was slain by Cain on Friday the thirteenth
- Is it believed that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on a Friday

There you have it, a rag-tag history of Friday the Thirteenth.


Are you afraid?
Do you change your routine on these days?

If it makes you feel any better, there is only one Friday the thirteenth in 2010, in August.