Paraskevidekatriaphobia!

[JonInNY]

Happy Friday the 13th. Here's everything you never needed to know in the first place about today:

Fear of Friday the thirteenth (a fear recently dubbed paraskevidekatriaphobia), despite the fact that Friday turns out to be the most common weekday on which the 13th of a month can occur in the Gregorian calendar. The association of bad luck with Friday appeared in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in the late 14th century ("and on a Friday fell all this misfortune"), but references to Friday as a day associated with ill luck in general first appear around the middle of the 17th century (Mikkelson and Mikkelson). In particular, it appeared in numerous publications as a particularly unlucky day to start a new venture (beginning a journey, giving birth, getting married, moving, starting a new job, etc.) beginning around 1800 (Mikkelson and Mikkelson).

While 13 is associated with the number of people at the Last Supper, the Crucifixion took place on a Friday, thus leading to an association of back luck with the combination of this number and day.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is probably the most widespread superstition in the United States, possibly affecting tens of millions of Americans. Interestingly, a study by Scanlon et al. (1993) published in the prestigious British Medical Journal which analyzed the relation between health, behavior, and superstition surrounding Friday 13th in the United Kingdom by comparing the ratio of traffic volume to traffic accidents on Friday the 6th and Friday the 13th over a period of years found that, "The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52%. Staying at home is recommended."

While there does not appear to be hard evidence to support the claim, it has been suggested that $800 to $900 million are lost each Friday the 13th (Roach 2004) as a result of people avoiding travel, wedding plans, moving, and so on.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Paco]

I have a fear of people with unrealistic fears, what do you call that?

13 is actually my favorite number, I guess for 2 reasons. It is always available as no one wants it and it kinda flies in the face of people with unrealistic fears.

[JonInNY]

I have a fear of people with unrealistic fears, what do you call that?

Phobophobia!

[goawayfarm]

The only people that should fear Friday the 13th are the Templars!

[JoJoGunn]

Paraskevide-WHAT?

Man, that's a mouthful just to describe Friday the 13th. Which incidentally is my luckiest day of the year. It's all the other one's I worry about.

[TX-JB]

I have a fear of people with unrealistic fears, what do you call that?

Smart... especially if you stay away from them...

[jbum]

I have this... Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.. really it's pretty sad.

[jhh3rd]

When I was a kid I got stung by a bee and my toe "bit" by an electric fan on the same day, friday the 13th.

[jca1]

I squished a ball on friday the 13th one time, that did it for me.

[jhh3rd]

I squished a ball on friday the 13th one time, that did it for me.

I am weeping thinking about it.

[Rugergirl]

Wow, that sure made it worth getting up this morning, talk about learning something new.
Thanks Lucy, err, Jon

[Squawker]

I turned 13 on a Friday the 13th. Come to think of it, that could explain a lot!!!!!!!!

[miklcolt45]

The only people that should fear Friday the 13th are the Templars!

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too.

According to Dan Brown, in The DaVinci Code, the Pope either raided or killed a bunch of the Templars on Friday the 13th in the 11th (?) Century.

Don't know if it's true.

[jumpwing]

Friday the 13th has been just about the only day of the year with which I don't have a crappy memory associated.

[Henmeister]

While 13 is associated with the number of people at the Last Supper, the Crucifixion took place on a Friday, thus leading to an association of back luck with the combination of this number and day.

I think it actually goes a lot further back than that: to an ancient time when the Jews got the Persian king's permission to fight back and kill anyone who assaulted them on the 13th of Adar (April?), the day Haman (a big shot in the palace) planned their genocide. No Jews died, but they kicked some serious backside on those who would have murdered and looted them. Haman was hanged.

The celebration is now known as the holiday of Purim and is still celebrated today with feasts and giving food to the poor. The story is in the Book of Esther in the Bible.