Friday, 13 March 2009

FRIDAY THE 13TH


It is already 8.17 p.m. and so far nothing really bad has happened. I watched the news just now and there were no major natural disasters or calamities happening in Malaysia and around the world. There is less than 4 hours to Saturday and I don't think this day will be unlucky.


Why do you think that people get worked up whenever the 13th day of the month happens to fall on a Friday? It seems that whenever Friday the 13th appears in our calendars, many people can't help but blame the date for everything that goes wrong on that day. For many in western countries, the number 13 is commonly associated with bad luck, and there is even a name for the fear of the number 13: triskaidekaphobia. And the condition for those who fear Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia. Wah! Such big words for two small fears.

The belief that 13 is unlucky can be linked to the Last Supper, attended by 13, including Judas.
Here are some western superstitions about Friday:
  • Never change your bed on a Friday as it will give you bad dreams.

  • If you start a trip on a Friday, you'll have misfortune.

  • Cut your nails on a Friday, and you cut them for sorrow.

  • If a ship sets sail on a Friday, it will bring bad luck.

Here are some superstitions about the number 13:


  • Should 13 people eat dinner together, all will die within the year.

  • Just as many buildings don't have a 13th floor, instead skipping it and going from 12 to 14, many cities don't have a 13th Street or 13th Avenue.

  • If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck. Don't believe it? Count the letters in these infamous names: Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo.

Reference: http://channels.isp.netscape.com/whatsnew/package.jsp?name=fte/fridaythe13th/fridaythe13th&floc=wn-nx

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