Incoherent Scribblings

How many of my readers realize that today is the second Friday the 13^th of the year? I did only because I wrote a lengthy entry on Friday the 13^th back in February. As a bit of déja vu, I thought that instead of writing a new entry on the subject today I would just re-post my February entry:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

What is it about Friday the 13^th that makes the fear of it, or Praskevidekatriaphobia, such a widespread superstition? Surveys show that over 20 million people in America alone admit that they are at least a little apprehensive on Friday the 13^th.

Nobody really knows the origins of Friday the 13^th. In fact, no one has been able to document the existence of such beliefs prior to the 19^th century. However two separate strands of folklore concerning the unluckiness of the number thirteen (13) and the unluckiness of Fridays may have converged to make Friday the 13^th the unluckiest day of all.

The Number Thirteen (13)

No one understands why human beings first associated the number 13 with misfortune, but the belief is assumed to be ancient and there are many theories claiming that its origins extend beyond antiquity. However, all ancient civilizations weren’t unanimous in their dread of 13. The Chinese and ancient Egyptians regarded the number as lucky.

Some sources propose that 13 was intentionally vilified by the founders of patriarchal religions because it symbolized femininity. In many goddess-worshipping cultures, 13 was honored since it corresponded to the number of lunar cycles in a year.

Friday and the Christians

For some, Friday’s bad reputation originates in the Bible. Supposedly, when Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit it was Friday. Tradition also indicates that the Great Flood began and the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday. And of course, Friday was the day of the week on which Christ was crucified.

Friday was execution day in pagan Rome, but in other pre-Christian cultures it was the Sabbath and the pre-Christian Teutonics considered Friday to be quite lucky. Of course, these pagan associations were not lost on the early Church, which went to great lengths to suppress them and eventually Fridays were associated with the Witches’ Sabbath.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So there you have it, the some background information about the number thirteen and Fridays. However, as you may have guessed, the complex folklore of Friday the 13^th doesn’t have much to do with people’s fears today.

“The fear has much more to do with personal experience. People learn at a young age that Friday the 13^th is supposed to be unlucky, for whatever reason, and then they look for evidence that the legend is true. The evidence isn’t hard to come by, of course. If you get in a car wreck on one Friday the 13^th, lose your wallet, or even spill your coffee, that day will probably stay with you. But if you think about it, bad things, big and small, happen all the time. If you’re looking for bad luck on Friday the 13^th, you’ll probably find it.”

– click here for the site from which I lifted this quote.

Happy Friday the 13^th everyone!