Do You Suffer From Paraskevidekatriaphobia On Friday The 13th?
Posted February 13, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Feeling like you want to pull the covers over your head and just stay in bed all day?
O.K., actually that describes most of us on any given work day. But for some, those feelings are more intense during these 24 hours. It’s Friday the 13th, not only a series of hit movies (the latest of which is just hitting theatres – see our review here) but the day synonymous with bad luck.
There’s even a name for those who suffer from the superstition: paraskevidekatriaphobics, or people with a fear of Friday the 13th itself.
It’s derived from two Greek words Paraskevi (or Friday) and dekatreis (thirteen), which seems to make perfect sense. Although that’s the only thing about the infamous belief that really does.
The better known triskaidekaphobia is actually a fear of the number 13 and not just the day.
Long unpronounceable names aside, the origins of the bad luck legend are lost to history. It’s just one of those things everyone seems to know about – even if they don’t really buy it. We’ve written before about its possible Biblical origins, with Judas the 13th person at the Last Supper.
In some cultures it’s still considered unlucky to have that many people over for dinner.
The ancient Egyptians apparently believed there was a 13 step process to attain spiritual immortality – with the 13th coming after you die.
Then there’s the idea espoused in the popular book “The Da Vinci Code” that King Philip IV of France planned the arrest of thousands of members of the legendary Knights Templar on Friday the 13th, creating a bad luck connotation that remains to this day.
And if you think that’s weird, consider this: there’s also a school of thought that claims people with 13 letters in their name are somehow cursed – take serial killers Charles Manson, Theodore Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer as examples.
Just don’t tell that to Stephen Harper.
But if you’re one of those who cringe at the thought of Friday the 13th, you’ve picked the wrong year. It turns out 2009 is the first time since the turn of the century when there are three Friday the 13s – one in February, another in March and a final triple threat in November. We won’t see that again until 2012.
So start planning now and remember – any month that starts on a Sunday will always have a Friday the 13th in it, and there’s at least one every year.
And get back under those covers. Even if you’re not a believer, on a cold February morning, staying toasty and warm can only bring you good luck.
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Why Friday the 13th is actually a good day
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