Today is Friday the 13th.
Are you going to go to work today? Are you getting out of bed?? I may just use this superstition to my advantage. Not get out of bed till late and sleep in on a FRIDAY and not go to work. I think I may need a chocolate fix and later on a bit of wine to go with it and a great movie and cuddle in bed. I don't think my husband will buy it though.
I could tell him that I was at the doctor the yesterday being the 12th of May and tell him that hey did you know I was diagnosed with friggatriskaidekaphobia. If I play my cards right and tell him the cure is chocolate and wine maybe he will even stay home and make sure I am looked after. Not likely, but I do admit its an angle I have never looked into.
More than 17 million people are affected by friggatriskaidekaphobia.
The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia. On the months of the year where the 13th falls on a Friday more than $700 million dollars are lost on this day as people do not conduct business, refuse to leave their homes, do not do any financial transactions and will also refrain from making any large purchases for the fear of something evil attatched to it.
Hotels, airplanes, hospitals, airports and even the Italian Lottery exclude the number 13 doors, floors, gates and numbers to avoid the disignation attatched to that number.
How on earth did the fear of the not only the number 13 start but a Friday as well. The concept surrounding the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th that it would bring bad luck related back in time to Norse and Christian beliefs and also be traced back to The Scandinavian's, who believed that the number 13 was unlucky due to the mythological 12 deities being joined by a 13th, an evil one, who brought misfortune upon humans. The belief is that Christ was to have been crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest was Judas, the betrayer. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden on a Friday, Noah's flood started on a Friday. It is a belief that twelve witches and the devil would appear making the number 13 participating at Satanic ceremonies so Friday and 13 make a ill-boding element.
Friday the 13th is a Folklore that has been passed down for years. Like an old recipe the basic story stays the same but some of the main ingrediants get changed and added too. Its like we try to make the number 13 invisable. Who are we kidding the 13th floor is still there just labelled wrong, there will be a 13th seat but numbered wrong. By choosing to ignore the number 13 it gives the illusion that it is not there, it feeds into keeping the superstition at bay. If you can't see it ---- it mustn't be there. Well I guess thats good enough for me.
I am seriously going to play hookey today. Afraid to go out of the house, afraid to do housework, afraid to do laundry and especially afraid to make dinner. I will be in bed with my doctors note, chocolate and a glass of wine. I think we should add it to one of our statutory holidays, no one is spending, people are not showing up for work, driving or making big decisions so why NOT - Lets have a holiday. Maybe if people feel it is part of the three day long weekend then the foreshadowing of doom and gloom will be gone.
I have already started, I am in bed being waited on (I hope he buys into the doctors note -- I wrote it in my left hand so that he won't be suspicious) and can't wait until 2012 because I will have three extra holidays - I'm kinda liking having friggatriskaidekaphobia.
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