Friday the 13th

As befits a year of great upheaval, this year we have no fewer than three Fridays falling on the 13th - in February, March and now November. Many people associate this day with superstitious notions of various misfortunes, mishaps and dark forces. And like any superstition, this one too has a certain basis, grounded mainly in observations, historical experience or fears.

For the superstition that associates the number 13 with bad luck, there is no substantiated basis in either numerology or astrology. It is only that if the number 12 in numerology signifies completeness and perfection, then 13 signifies disorder, transgression and the disruption of perfection.

In the Western world, fear of the misfortune that the 13th can bring has reached enormous proportions in some people's minds. Moreover, the notion is further cultivated in cinema, with horror films choosing so-called "Black Fridays"; in some cities, out of superstition, there is no 13th Street or 13th Avenue; aeroplanes have no row 13; people gossip that if 13 people sit down at a table, one of them will have to die in the near future - and similar nonsense.

Friday the 13th can truly become a day full of misfortunes if a person gives it particular thought and pays heightened attention to minor everyday nuisances. There is a saying that if a person truly believes in something, it comes to pass. Studies claim that on Fridays falling on the 13th, more accidents and mishaps occur on the roads than on a regular Friday. If this is so, it could have a psychological explanation, as people are already mentally set and prepared for something bad to happen. In some sources on the internet I found a whole article about fear of the number 13. This is called triskaidekaphobia.

Investigating the historical side of this fear, some Bible scholars claim that Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit on a Friday, and Christ was crucified on a Friday. Was it perhaps on the 13th? As is known, Christianity and religion have always had a great influence on the formation of various phobias, in order to keep the masses in obedience and awe.

The oldest event that took place on the 13th and on a Friday is connected with the Order of the Knights Templar, founded in 1120. This fact is also played upon in Dan Brown's famous modern novel "The Da Vinci Code". The Knights Templar were accused of all manner of heresies and were destroyed in 1312, and this took place on a Friday, 13 October. The mass killings on that day were truly a horrifying event that left its mark on the European consciousness or subconscious to this day.

Interestingly, the 13th falls on a Friday more often than on any other day of the week. This is said to be connected with the Gregorian cycle (400 years), which amounts to exactly 20,871 weeks.

Whether to believe or not in the danger of the 13th is a matter for each individual to decide. For my own part, I can say that when choosing a seat for a longer journey, I have deliberately chosen seat number 13, and the journey has always been rich in positive impressions and turned out well.

On the topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th