It's Friday the 13th.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia:
Fear and superstition of Friday the 13th. Derived from the
concatenation of the Greek words Paraskeví (Παρασκευή) meaning
Friday, and dekatreís (δεκατρείς) meaning thirteen, attached to
phobía (φοβία) meaning fear.
Triskaidekaphobia: Fear and superstition of the number 13. Dirived from Greek words "tris" meaning three, "kai" meaning and and "deka" meaning ten.
Triskaidekaphobia: Fear and superstition of the number 13. Dirived from Greek words "tris" meaning three, "kai" meaning and and "deka" meaning ten.
"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center
and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North
Carolina.This fear is not only experienced in the United States and Canada, but in Portuguese-speaking nations, as well as countries in Europe and the Philippines.
But how did this come to be? The fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient history and religions of all kinds.
Christianity
Many Christians believe that Friday is unlucky since it is said to be the day of the week in which Jesus was crucified. There were 13 people who sat at the Last Supper, the last time before Jesus died. Judas the one who betrayed Jesus was said to be the 13th guest. There were 12 disciplines and also 12 tribes in Israel, so 13 was irregular and following the events it was considered bad.
Norse Mythology
The number 13 is looked apon in a negative light in Norse mythology with the story of Loki, one of the most evil of the Norse gods. As story tells, Loki went uninvited to a party for 12 at Valhalla, a heavenly banquet for the gods. Here, Loki tricked Hoder, the blind into shooting a mistletoe tipped arrow at Balder, the beautiful and good. Following Balder's death, it is said that the world went dark on this day, as the good and right disappeared.
Knights Templar
On Friday, October 13th, 1307. King Philip IV of France ordered for the arrest of Jaques de Molay who was the Grand Master of the Knights Templars as well as his sixty senior knights on account of heresy and betraying the king. Others were arrested all over the country and tales of torture in order to get the templars to confess their wrong-doings was wide-spread. It was said that while Jaques de Molay was being burned at the stake he was still screaming out his innocence and cursed Philip and the Pope for overseeing such torturous actions. It was then said that this day, Friday the 13th was cursed because of it.
Other 13th Associations
- Apollo 13 was the failed mission to the moon
- The HMS Friday was a ship launched on Friday the 13th, it was never heard from again
- The 13th Tarot Card is the Grim Reaper
- There are 13 steps leading to the gallows
- Ancient Romans regarded the number 13 as destruction, evil and misfortune
Leading to...- Elevators skipping floor 13
- Increased anxiety and stress for some
- And of course, the movie
References
Nit Glimpse, Friday the 13th Facts. <http://www.netglimse.com/holidays/friday_the_13th/friday_the_13th_facts.shtml>
Wikipedia, Triskaidekaphobia and Friday the 13th. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskaidekaphobia>
National Geographic, Friday the 13th Phobia in Ancient History. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0212_040212_friday13.html>
Post Comments