Every year our calendar has at least one Friday 13th. This year we've had three, in February, March, as well as today.
If you are among the many folk particularly wary of Friday 13th, you are suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia, or the slightly easier to pronounce friggatriskaidekaphobia – two names for the same phenomenon. Triskaidekapohobia on its own just means fear of the number 13.
§ There are 13 witches in a coven.
§ Christian ideas relate it to the crucifixion happening on a Friday, also the last supper attended by Christ and the 12 apostles, the 13th being Judas Iscariot, the traitor.
§ Some believe it had an earlier origin when the Norse god Odin was entertaining 11 of his friends at
§ It was on
Some famously nasty happenings have been linked to Friday and/or the number 13, but sometimes these links do seem rather contrived.
§ The crew members of the Apollo 13 mission failed to land on the moon, and were lucky to get home following an oxygen tank explosion on board. They were launched from Pad 39 (3 x 13) at
§ Composer Arnold Schoenberg was afflicted with triskaidekaphobia. Born on the 13th day of September in 1874, he died on
§ An amazing number of serial killers’ names have 13 letters – Charles Manson, Wayne Williams, Pee Wee Gaskins, Thierry Paulin, Fritz Haarmann, John Wayne Gacy, Michael Swango, Theodore Bundy, Herbert Mullin, Jack the Ripper, Harold Shipman, Frederick West, and Peter Sutcliffe, are just 13 of them.
This comes from an article I first wrote a couple of years ago. A version of it was published in Ireland's Own in June last year. Another version is for sale at http://www.constant-content.com/MoreDetails/81155-Facts_About_Friday_13th.htm .
5 comments:
I never knew some of these facts. For me, I have always had good luck on Friday the 13th. And, so far so good today.
Thanks. That was really interesting and good.
Friday the 13th was always a good luck day for me too. . . it's wednesday the thirteenth that is no fun. Interesting posting - It's spooky all the serial murderers with 13 letters in their names.
Great post, I found the 13 letters in serial killer's names created a shivver!! Chhers Ursula
Jo - Many thanks. I do hope your luck lasted through the day.
Rich - Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Koe - Thank you as well. I'll look out for Wed. 13th from now on.
Ursula - good to meet you. Yes, those serial killers are not good to contemplate. I'll head over to your blog now as I think it's a new one for me to visit.
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