Should We Fear Friday the 13th?
For many Friday the 13th can be a debilitating day, they decide to stay indoors lest they have a car crash or they choke on food at a restaurant. People will be so scared that they will rearrange plans, refuse to fly on that date or even make a financial decision in case it all goes wrong for them. This in turn causes drops in income for many people and businesses. But why the fear?
Why the fear?
Well it turns out that in days gone by Fridays and the number 13 were to be feared and seen as unlucky. A lot of this stems from old Western culture, mainly having its roots in ancient Christian theology. For example, Judas the betrayer was the 13th Apostle and Friday was the day Jesus was crucified, when Adam and Eve ate forbidden fruit and the day of the Great Flood.
Sailors were often known to never start a journey out to sea on a Friday mainly because of a legend where the HMS Friday was built, named and sent out for a maiden voyage on a Friday only to disappear and never be seen of again. However a similar yet very sad experience happened with the Apollo 13 mission which was entirely true.
In British tradition both Fridays and 13 was associated with capital punishment! Public hangings would occur on Fridays and there was always 13 steps leading up to the platform leading up to the noose.
Phobias
There are also people who genuinely have a phobia of 13 (Triskaidekaphobia) or Friday the 13th known as Friggatrisaidekaphobia, Frigga/Freya being a Norse goddess of Friday. These people genuinely fear those days and are convinced that bad things are more likely to happen to them on Friday the 13th.
Superstition is so strong that we often see the poor number 13 missed out in stalls, seat rows and even in house numbers. I actually grow up in a complex of flats and the block next to ours had no number 13, I often found it odd until I grew older and learned of the fear of the number.
For many of us we can laugh it off but for those who are truly phobic the day can have strong consequences, it may lead to them missing a job interview, not being able to see or help family or even becoming a prisoner in their own home.
Modern Culture
For many of us we know that the myths, legends and coincidences relating to Friday the 13th are not a problem and the day cannot simply make things worse for us but where do we learn this from and why do people think more bad things happen?
This mainly comes down to how we are brought up, a word here, a phrase there and as we grow we learn that 13 is bad, unlucky, something to worry about and even more so when associated with a Friday.
People then look for links. An accident on Friday the 13th, being turned down for a job on Friday the 13th. Spilled your drink, lost a bet, lost your phone on Friday the 13th ? Well there’s the link, it was the day not circumstance. We’re also more likely to remember these links and they stay with us.
However as I often remind people when I read for them, what you think manifests and can make itself part of your life so it’s your decision. You can either worry and hold back or you can life your life to the full, it’s down to you!
Want to know what this Friday the 13th brings? Why not contact one of our psychics who can see what’s ahead for you!
