Do you have triskaidekaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia? These are a combination of old superstitions, the first being the fear of the number 13, the second being the fear of Friday the 13th.
Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most, three times a year. Any month's 13th day will fall on a Friday if the month starts on a Sunday.
Many buildings and skyscrapers do not have a 13th floor. Throughout most of recorded history, the number 13 has been seen as an unlucky number. Historically, and perhaps a bit oddly in today's world, Friday has been viewed as an unlucky day of the week.
In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.
Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century and many other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects. Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s. It has also been suggested that Friday has been considered an unlucky day because, according to Christian scripture and tradition, Jesus was crucified on a Friday.
It's just another day to me, normally. There will only be one this year, and on that one day this year - the 13th - I got selected and called for JURY DUTY. I hope my luck runs 'good.'
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