TODAY IS Friday the 13th.
If you aren’t in the least bit superstitious, this probably means nothing to you and you’re likely only honing in on the fact that it’s finally Friday and pints are on the horizon.
If you do happen to have a superstitious leaning, you’ve probably made note of the fact that it’s Friday the 13th, and thought no more about it.
And if you’re like me and live your life according to superstitions, you’re definitely on high alert, employing every trick you know to keep the universe at bay, and treading on eggshells in case you accidentally incur its wrath.
And here are just 13 facts about what is considered the unluckiest date in the calendar.
1. Friggatriskaideaphobia is a fear of Friday the 13th.
It is also known as paraskavedekatriaphobia.
2. The origin of the fear has various roots.
Some believe it dates back to The Last Supper where 13 people were present the night before the crucifixion which fell on Friday the 13th.
Others believe it has its origins in events which took place on Friday October 13 1307 when hundreds of Knights Templar were arrested and burnt in France, while another school of thoughts suggests that it was born of the disappearance of a British Navy ship names HMS Friday which set sail on Friday the 13th and was never seen again.
3. There is at least one Friday the 13th in every calendar.
And at the most, three will fall within 365 days. Handy rule of thumb; if a month starts on a Sunday, it will have a Friday the 13th.
4. Some hospitals, hotels and airports have fed into the superstition.
It’s not unusual for a hotel room to be named 12B instead of 13, while some hospitals refuse to include a 13th floor and a number of airports choose not to have a Gate 13.
5. Airlines often feel the brunt of travellers’ superstition.
Research carried out by Jetcost.co.uk has established that travel inquiries for Friday the 13th drop by 27%, and airlines have reported fewer bookings for that day.
6. The stock exchange is also known to take a hit.
Researchers at the University of Miami have established that Friday the 13th has an effect on stock markets around the world. Apparently, the worst Friday the 13th for stocks was a loss of 6.1% on Oct. 13, 1989.
7. Hollywood, on the other hand, generally benefits from it.
Not only was the famous Hollywood sign unveiled on Friday 13th 1923, but the Friday the 13th franchise, which includes 12 films, a TV series, a novel and comic series, has grossed hundreds of millions of dollars.
8. Friday the 13th was also known as Hangman’s Day.
There are 13 steps leading to the gallows and 13 knots in a hangman’s noose, people.
9. Alfred Hitchcock was born on Friday August 13th 1899.
As the unrivaled master of suspense, his birthday has given leverage to those who truly believe in the power of the date.
10. Finland hold a National Accident Day on Friday the 13th.
The National Day, which was launched in 1995, is used to raise awareness around automotive protocols and workplace safety.
11. Paraskevidekatriaphobia is oh so real.
Research states that at least 20 million people in the United States alone suffer from it.
12. In Paris, a superstitious dinner host can hire a quatorzieme.
This person can act as a 14th dinner guest if the final party number comes to 13.
13. The fear may be down to our dislike for a disruption to the norm.
In other words, we take solace from knowing there are 12 months in a year, 12 hours on a traditional clock, and 12 zodiac signs, so anything else unsettles the superstitious.
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BRACE yourself, because today is Friday the 13th which many consider to be the unluckiest day in the calendar.
But what things should you avoid doing today and what can happen if you do them?
Alamy Friday the 13th is considered one of the most unlucky days in the calendar and superstitions are widespread in the UK, such avoiding spilling salt
Why is Friday the 13th unlucky?
Considering Friday the 13th as unlucky dates back for hundreds of years, with the tradition said to have begun in the Middle Ages or even Biblical times.
Some say the superstition arose from Jesus’ last supper, where is it thought there were 13 people present on the night before his death – which occurred on a Friday.
Thanks to a string of events that have occurred on this day, many feel it is jinxed and pay particular care to avoid catastrophe when it comes around.
The fear is so widespread that psychologists have even come up with a word for those who suffer from it: paraskavedekatriaphobia.
Casinopedia's research suggests that 49 million Brits are superstitious about Friday 13.
However, it can be interesting to know that the "unlucky" day can be great for bagging a bargain.
SWNS:South West News Service
What are the spookiest things that have happened on Friday the 13th?
Last January, there were plenty of unfortunate occurrences on the notorious date.
Some Christians even worried that the world was going to end on January Friday 13th.
Legendary horror writer William Peter Blatty, who penned The Exorcist, passed away.
If that wasn't tragic enough, the news followed the death of the Catholic priest who inspired the iconic horror.
And the child actor who played Damien in The Omen and punched two cyclists in a road rage attack has arrived at court for sentencing.
While this trail of destruction may seem unusual, it's far from odd for bad things to happen on Friday the 13th.
Tupak Shakur's mysterious death, the sinking of the Costa Concordia and a Buckingham Palace bombing are among the chaos to ensue on the date that's shrouded in superstition.
Getty Images - Getty Two thirds of Brits aged 18 to 24 consider themselves superstitious
What are the top superstitions in the UK?
Avoid walking under a ladder
Touching wood
Blessing someone when they've sneezed
Crossing your fingers
Picking up a penny
Breaking a wishbone and making a wish
Throwing salt over your shoulder because you spilled it
Avoiding opening an umbrella inside
Avoiding putting new shoes on the table
Avoiding telling anyone your birthday wish when blowing out your candles
Saluting a magpie
Avoiding passing someone on the stairs
Ensuring you have 'something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, borrowed, something blue on yours or a friend's wedding day
Worrying about Friday 13th approaching
Avoiding the number 13
Avoiding walking over three drains
Avoiding the number 666
Avoiding seeing the bride in their wedding dress before their wedding day
Avoiding walking over a crack
Avoiding eating cheese before bed
Avoiding letting a black cat cross your path
Having your husband carry you over the threshold of your new home
Avoiding stepping on a grate
Ensuring the bride (yourself or a friend) has not worn her complete wedding clothes before the day
Avoiding lighting three cigarettes with one match
Pushing a spoon through the bottom of an empty eggshell after finishing it
Carrying a 'lucky rabbit's foot' around with you
Cutting off both ends of the loaf of bread
Making sure you haven't left a white tablecloth on a table overnight
Never giving gloves as a present
Getty Images
Do hotels skip a 13th floor?
Many hotels avoid the 13th floor, reserving it for storage and maintenance or skipping it entirely, due to many people’s morbid fear of the number 13.
These include the Carlton Hotel in London, which skips from floor 12 to 14.
Some planes will also not have a row 13.
When is the next Friday the 13th?
Approximately 20 Friday the 13ths occur every decade.
In 2018, the deadly date is appearing in April and July – you have been warned...
MANY consider Friday the 13th to be one of the unluckiest dates in the year, and the first one of 2018 takes place TOMORROW.
Whether you are superstitious or not, here is everything you need to know about the widely-feared day...
Getty Images Many consider Friday the 13th to be one of the most unlucky dates in the year
When is the next Friday the 13th?
Approximately 20 Friday the 13ths occur every decade.
In 2018, the deadly date is first rearing its ugly head TOMORROW.
If that wasn't all, it will return at the height of summer in July.
Why is Friday the 13th unlucky?
Considering Friday the 13th as unlucky dates back for hundreds of years, with the tradition said to have begun in the Middle Ages or even Biblical times.
Some say the superstition arose from Jesus’ last supper, where is it thought there were 13 people present on the night before his death – which occurred on a Friday.
Thanks to a string of events that have occurred on this day, many feel it is jinxed and pay particular care to avoid catastrophe when it comes around.
AP:Associated Press The suspicious circumstances surrounding Tupac's death continue to haunt Friday 13th
The fear is so widespread that psychologists have even come up with a word for those who suffer from it: paraskavedekatriaphobia.
Casinopedia's research suggests that 49 million Brits are superstitious about Friday 13.
What are the spookiest things that have happened on Friday the 13th?
Last January, there were plenty of unfortunate occurrences on the notorious date.
Some Christians even worried that the world was going to end on January Friday 13th.
Legendary horror writer William Peter Blatty, who penned The Exorcist, passed away.
If that wasn't tragic enough, the news followed the death of the Catholic priest who inspired the iconic horror.
And the child actor who played Damien in The Omen and punched two cyclists in a road rage attack has arrived at court for sentencing.
Alamy The Nazis targeted Buckingham Palace on Friday 13th, 1940
While this trail of destruction may seem unusual, it's far from odd for bad things to happen on Friday the 13th.
Tupak Shakur's mysterious death, the sinking of the Costa Concordia and a Buckingham Palace bombing are among the chaos to ensue on the date that's shrouded in superstition.
Of all the days to stay in bed, Friday the 13th is surely the best. It’s the title of a popular (if increasingly corny) horror movie series; it’s associated with bad luck and it’s generally thought to be a good time not to take any serious risks.
Even if you try to escape it, you might fail, as happened to New Yorker Daz Baxter. On Friday 13th in 1976, he decided to just stay in bed for the day, only to be killed when the floor of his apartment block collapsed under him. There’s even a term for the terror the day evokes: Paraskevidekatriaphobia was coined by the psychotherapist Donald Dossey, a specialist in phobias, to describe an intense and irrational fear of the date.
Unfortunately there is always one Friday 13th in a year, and sometimes there are as many as three. Today is one of them - and another comes in July. But no matter how many times the masked killer Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th returns to haunt our screens, this fear is in our own minds rather than any basis in science.
One study did show a small rise in accidents on that day for women drivers in Finland, but much of the problem was due to anxiety rather than general bad luck. Follow-up research found no consistent evidence of a rise in accidents on the day, but suggested that if you’re superstitious, it might be better not get behind the wheel of a car on it anyway.
The stigma against Friday 13th likely comes from a merging of two different superstitions. In the Christian tradition, the death of Jesus took place on a Friday, following the presence of 13 people at the Last Supper. In Teutonic legend, the god Loki appears at a dinner party seated for 12 gods, making him the outcast 13th at the table, leading to the death of another guest.
Elsewhere in the world, 13 is less unlucky. In Hinduism, people fast to worship Lord Shiva and Parvati on Trayodashi, the 13th day in Hindu month. There are 13 Buddhas in the Shingon sect of Buddhism, and there is mention of a lucky 13 signs, rather than unlucky, in The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation.
In Italy, it is more likely to be “heptadecaphobia”, or fear of the number 17, that leads to a change of plans. In Greece, Spain, and Mexico, the “unlucky” day is not Friday 13th, but Tuesday 13th.
In China, the number four is considered significantly unlucky, as it is nearly homophonous to the word “death”. In a multicultural country like Australia you may find hotels and cinemas missing both 13th and fourth floors, out of respect for the trepidation people can have about those numbers.
The lure of superstition
Superstitions were one of the first elements of paranormal beliefs studied in the early 1900s. While many are now just social customs rather than a genuine conviction, their persistence is remarkable.
If you cross your fingers, feel alarmed at breaking a mirror, find a “lucky” horseshoe or throw spilled salt over your shoulder, you are engaging in long-held practices that can have a powerful impact on your emotions. Likewise, many students are now heading towards their semester exams. In the lecture rooms, they may take lucky charms such as a particular pen or favourite socks.
In sports, baseballer Nomar Garciaparra is known for his elaborate batting ritual. Other sports people wear “lucky gear” or put on their gloves in a particular order. The great cricket umpire David Shepherd stood on one leg whenever the score reached 111. These sorts of superstitions are humorously depicted in the film Silver Linings Playbook. It’s interesting to note that it’s often the successful athletes who have these superstitions and stick to them.
One key reason for the persistence of superstition is a psychological concept called a “discriminative stimulus”. An example of this is the gambler who notices he always seem to win when betting on “lucky 7”, and forgets all the times that same number has not been in his favour.
Charms do work in a fashion. If you wear your lucky underwear and succeed enough, you will feel distress that actually impedes your performance if you’re not wearing them. This then influences your performance – an “A” seems guaranteed because you walk in fully prepared.
But if you’re feeling a little anxious this Friday, try to remember there’s nothing different about it to any other day.
