Do you have friggatriskaidekaphobia? How about triskaidekaphobia? Well, surely you and paraskevidekatriaphobia have crossed paths once or twice.
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I wrote a few weeks ago about the superstitions that seem to rule some people’s lives.
About the same time as the column was published I spent a weekend in a high-rise motel at the Gold Coast.
I quickly realised that something was wrong. The hotel did not have a 13th floor. The lift was going from 12 to 14.
When the column was published, I received a letter from Karl Rieger, who commented that number 13 was the first number past 12. It was the lowest number divisible by four. Jesus had 12 apostles. Include Christ and you have 13 – and Christ was betrayed. The year had 12 months and the day was divided into 12 hours day and 12 hours night. This, of course, was all correct.
But I decided I would do my own research.
Let’s start with Friday the 13th.
Some people say Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Others refer to the Canterbury Tales, where Friday was considered a day of misfortune.
Julia Greenberg wrote in the International Business Times that Friday was an unlucky day to take a trip. I’ll have to cancel my next trip.
Then she commented that Friday the 13th was a non-existent superstition before 1907. She mentions a book by Thomas W Lawson, in which a Wall Street panic occurs on Friday the 13th.
The North Carolina Stress Management Centre and Phobia Institute says from 17 to 21 million people suffer from a fear of Friday the 13th. That phobia is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia.
The word comes from Frigga, the Norse goddess for whom Friday is named, plus triskaidekaphobia.
This centre also says the phobia is sometimes called paraskevidekatriaphobia, from the Greek Paraskevi for Friday, dekatreis for 13 and phobia for fear.
They’re probably right. I wouldn’t know. I haven’t met many goddesses.
Incidentally, triskaidekaphobia means the fear of 13, but sometimes it puts three with 10 to come up with 13.
Julia Greenberg says that in 1881 an organisation called The Thirteen Club was started in an attempt to improve the number’s reputation.
The 13 members walked under ladders and spilled salt at the first meeting in an attempt to dissuade any negative associations with the number.
But I suppose it died out eventually. It probably ran out of members.
She also mentions The Da Vinci Code.
Finally, Julia mentions some superstitions, such as:
q A child born on Friday the 13th will be unlucky for life (I was born on Friday the 13th – now they tell me).
q If you break a mirror on Friday the 13th, you will have seven years of bad luck (unless you can hide it from your wife).
q If you cut your hair on Friday the 13th, someone in your family will die (she doesn’t say when).
Kathy Pudden, writing in another overseas newspaper, suggests Eve gave Adam the “apple” on a Friday, conveniently overlooking that Friday hadn’t been thought of at that stage. Neither had Granny Smith.
I could go on and on, but I have to go outside and kick the bucket.
www.lauriebarber.com