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Friday the 13th


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A Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck in many superstitions around the globe. Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions. In Greece and Spain, for example, Tuesday the 13th takes the same role. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia, a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a phobia (fear) of the number thirteen.

Origins

The origin of the Friday the 13th superstition has been linked to the belief that there were 13 people at The Last Supper of Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday, but it probably originated in medieval times. It has also been linked to the fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years, while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year. Another suggestion is that the belief originated in a Norse myth about twelve gods having a feast in Valhalla. The mischievous Loki gate-crashed the party as an uninvited 13th guest and arranged for Hod, the blind god of darkness, to throw a branch of mistletoe at Balder, the god of joy and gladness. Balder was killed instantly and the Earth was plunged into darkness and mourning as a result. Both the first and last explanations, however, seem more relevant to the superstition linked to having 13 people at the same table during a meal. There is also another theory that Friday the 13th of October 1307 was the day that Philip IV of France arrested nearly all of the French Knights Templar to get their money for the French treasury. One other note which predates all of the aforementioned is that the first Passover seems to have occurred on Friday the 13th. The death of the firstborns of Egypt occurred on a Shabbat on the 14th of Nisan in the evening. But the Jewish calendar counts days from sunset to sunset so this would have been Friday the 13th in terms of the gentile reckoning of the days. (Exodus 12:6)

Effects

Strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is actually unlucky for some. Psychologists have found that some people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on Friday the 13th. This has been attributed to such people feeling a heightened state of anxiety on that day. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina estimates that in the United States alone, $800 or $900 million is lost in business each Friday the 13th because some people will not travel or go to work. [1]

The date is also well-known in the motorcycle (biker) community: since 1981, motorcycle enthusiasts and vendors gather every Friday the 13th in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada. This tradition started on November 13, 1981 by Chris Simons as a gathering of approximately 25 friends. The event has grown substantially, with an estimated 100,000 people attending in August 2004, as well as music bands, vendors, a bike show, etc.

In the Spanish-speaking world, it is Tuesday the 13th (as well as Tuesdays in general) that brings bad luck; a proverb runs En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques (on Tuesday, neither get married nor start a journey).

Occurrence

The following months have a Friday the 13th (If a month begins on a Sunday there will always be a Friday the 13th in it):

This sequence, here given for 2001-2028, repeats every 28 years from 1901 to 2099. The months with a Friday the 13th are determined by the Dominical letter (G, F, GF, etc.) of the year. All months whose first day falls on a Sunday will contain a Friday the 13th.

Because the Gregorian Calendar 400-year cycle has a whole number of weeks, it is not possible for exactly 1 in 7 months to have a Friday the 13th. In fact, the 13th is more likely to be a Friday than any other day of the week.

Over any given 400-year cycle the 13th day of the month occurs 4800 times. The distribution of 13th day of the month is as follows:

  • Monday ( 685 or 14.27% ),
  • Tuesday ( 685 or 14.27% ),
  • Wednesday ( 687 or 14.31% ),
  • Thursday ( 684 or 14.25% ),
  • Friday ( 688 or 14.34% ),
  • Saturday ( 684 or 14.25% ),
  • Sunday ( 687 or 14.31% ).

This means the 13th day of the month is slightly more likely to occur on a Friday.

Famous People born or died on Friday 13th

Some famous people born on this day are: Samuel Beckett, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Peter Davison, Oliviero De Fabritiis, Eileen Farrell, Carol Lynley, Herbert Ross, and Georges Simenon.

Some famous people who died on this day are: Diamond Jim Brady, Benny Goodman, Hubert Humphrey, Martita Hunt, Ralph Kirkpatrick, Gerald Moore, Lily Pons, and Tupac Shakur.


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Some famous people who died on this day are: Diamond Jim Brady, Benny Goodman, Hubert Humphrey, Martita Hunt, Ralph Kirkpatrick, Gerald Moore, Lily Pons, and Tupac Shakur. Originally located in what was often remote wilderness, some of them later became towns and even cities. Some famous people born on this day are: Samuel Beckett, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Peter Davison, Oliviero De Fabritiis, Eileen Farrell, Carol Lynley, Herbert Ross, and Georges Simenon. Many trading posts later had small general stores, like the one shown at right. This means the 13th day of the month is slightly more likely to occur on a Friday. The furs were hung on posts in the open air to dry, thus the name. The distribution of 13th day of the month is as follows:. Trading posts were very common in the early settlements of Canada and the United States for the trade of such things as fur.

Over any given 400-year cycle the 13th day of the month occurs 4800 times. The preferred travel route to a trading post, or between trading posts, is known as a trade route. In fact, the 13th is more likely to be a Friday than any other day of the week. A trading post is a place where trading of goods takes place. Because the Gregorian Calendar 400-year cycle has a whole number of weeks, it is not possible for exactly 1 in 7 months to have a Friday the 13th. All months whose first day falls on a Sunday will contain a Friday the 13th.

The months with a Friday the 13th are determined by the Dominical letter (G, F, GF, etc.) of the year. This sequence, here given for 2001-2028, repeats every 28 years from 1901 to 2099. The following months have a Friday the 13th (If a month begins on a Sunday there will always be a Friday the 13th in it):. In the Spanish-speaking world, it is Tuesday the 13th (as well as Tuesdays in general) that brings bad luck; a proverb runs En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques (on Tuesday, neither get married nor start a journey).

The event has grown substantially, with an estimated 100,000 people attending in August 2004, as well as music bands, vendors, a bike show, etc. This tradition started on November 13, 1981 by Chris Simons as a gathering of approximately 25 friends. The date is also well-known in the motorcycle (biker) community: since 1981, motorcycle enthusiasts and vendors gather every Friday the 13th in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada. [1].

The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina estimates that in the United States alone, $800 or $900 million is lost in business each Friday the 13th because some people will not travel or go to work. This has been attributed to such people feeling a heightened state of anxiety on that day. Psychologists have found that some people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on Friday the 13th. Strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is actually unlucky for some.

(Exodus 12:6). But the Jewish calendar counts days from sunset to sunset so this would have been Friday the 13th in terms of the gentile reckoning of the days. The death of the firstborns of Egypt occurred on a Shabbat on the 14th of Nisan in the evening. One other note which predates all of the aforementioned is that the first Passover seems to have occurred on Friday the 13th.

There is also another theory that Friday the 13th of October 1307 was the day that Philip IV of France arrested nearly all of the French Knights Templar to get their money for the French treasury. Both the first and last explanations, however, seem more relevant to the superstition linked to having 13 people at the same table during a meal. Balder was killed instantly and the Earth was plunged into darkness and mourning as a result. The mischievous Loki gate-crashed the party as an uninvited 13th guest and arranged for Hod, the blind god of darkness, to throw a branch of mistletoe at Balder, the god of joy and gladness.

Another suggestion is that the belief originated in a Norse myth about twelve gods having a feast in Valhalla. It has also been linked to the fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years, while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year. The origin of the Friday the 13th superstition has been linked to the belief that there were 13 people at The Last Supper of Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday, but it probably originated in medieval times. .

The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia, a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a phobia (fear) of the number thirteen. In Greece and Spain, for example, Tuesday the 13th takes the same role. Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions. A Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck in many superstitions around the globe.


. Sunday ( 687 or 14.31% ). Saturday ( 684 or 14.25% ),. Friday ( 688 or 14.34% ),.

Thursday ( 684 or 14.25% ),. Wednesday ( 687 or 14.31% ),. Tuesday ( 685 or 14.27% ),. Monday ( 685 or 14.27% ),.