Friday the 13th: Do You Suffer from Triskaidekaphobia?
Does Friday the 13th give you the chills?
There are generations after generations spooked by the myth surrounding Friday the 13th. Surely Hollywood has benefited from the superstitions associated with this day (read Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter .... and so on). But where did it all begin?
Where Does the ‘Myth’ Originate?
Though it is tough to put our finger on why this day in the year is taboo, but it is popularly believed to have originated from The Last Supper. Judas was supposedly the 13th guest, and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. A curious Christian coincidence?
Friday the Thirteenth, the Novel
According to National Geographic, Friday the 13th wasn’t always considered unlucky. Apparently in 1907, a novel titled Friday, the Thirteenth by Thomas W Lawson was published which brought together the concept of the unlucky number – 13, and the unlucky day – Friday. Whether the superstition is really rooted in this book is anybody’s guess.
What in the World is ‘Triskaidekaphobia’?
Did you know the fear of the number 13 actually has a name? And it’s... brace-yourself-and-say-this-in-a-single-breath...Triskaidekaphobia. Imagine having to explain that at airport check-ins, for not wanting to sit on seat number 13.
History and Friday the 13th
History is testimony that some strange things have happened on this day. Not necessarily spooky or supernatural, but some Friday the 13ths in the past have been monumental. For instance, one of New York’s most brutal murder occurred on Friday the 13th. A bar manager Kitty Genovese, was brutally stabbed and raped by a stranger. 38 people supposedly witnessed the attack, but failed to call the police, according to a New York Times report.
The Buckingham Palace in England was also attacked by Nazi Germany, on a Friday the 13th, during World War II, in 1940.
Twitter on Friday the 13th
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