Paraskavedekatriaphobics, best stay inside today!

[xSilverPhinx]

You might not believe it, but a word for 'fear of Friday the 13th' actually exists. 

Paraskeví (Friday), dekatreís (thirteen), and phobia (fear).

If you're having a hard time pronouncing that word, there is an alternative: friggatriskaidekaphobia (Friday is named after the Norse goddess Frigga).

Say that three times fast. 

Some interesting trivia to get you all feeling more lucky

1. According to Smithsonian Magazine "fear of the #13 costs American a billion dollars per year in absenteeism, train and plane cancellations, and reduced commerce on the 13th of the month."

2. Fear of Friday the 13th dates back to Nordic Mythology. Many of their thirteenth Gods met with violent deaths, such as Loki, the trickster.

3. Ancient Romans regarded the number 13 as a symbol of death, destruction and misfortune.

4. Lizzy Borden uttered a total of 13 words at her trial.

5. A witches coven consists of 13 members.

6. Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim Reaper (although it is read as transition or change and not literal death).

7. Hotels rarely have a room number 13. Usually it is called 12a or 14. Same with floors of high rise buildings. Many elevators are without a #13 button. Highways sometimes will skip exit 13 altogether also.

8. There are 13 steps leading to the gallows.

9. There are 13 knots in a hangman's noose.

10. The blade of a guillotine falls 13 feet.

11. The driver of Princess Diana hit pillar #13 at Place de l'Alma when she was killed in Paris, France.

12. Certain ocean liners will be held in dock until after midnight to appease passenger's fears on Friday the 13th.

13. Apollo 13, the 13th mission launched from pad #39 (13 x 3), the mission was aborted after an explosion occurred in the fuel cell of their service module. The rocket had left launching pad at 13:13 CST and the date was April 13th.

Does anybody have any lucky stories to share? 

[The Magic Pudding]

Does anybody have any lucky stories to share? 

No, when I saw that Paraskavedekatriaphobics word I thought there was a new med being offered by those friendly folk who visit us.

When a batsmen is on 87 runs they should be afeard 'cause they are 13 off 100.
I like the number 87.   87 and 42, they are special numbers.

[xSilverPhinx]

Does anybody have any lucky stories to share?  

No, when I saw that Paraskavedekatriaphobics word I thought there was a new med being offered by those friendly folk who visit us.

When a batsmen is on 87 runs they should be afeard 'cause they are 13 off 100.
I like the number 87.   87 and 42, they are special numbers.

42, yes *cough*sig*cough*

I'm actually curious to know how many people already knew or could decifer what those two phobia describing words meant, even though both are a bit far removed from English....I didn't.

[Asmodean]

Seriously? Hotels have no room number 13?! 

Most hotel rooms here are floor coded, like 0415 would be room 15 on the fourth floor, but I've never seen them jump over a number...

[Tank]

The Apollo 13 one is fascinating. You can just see why our pattern matching brains panic when all those unconnected elements come together. It's virtually impossible for our irrational/illogical minds NOT to see a connection.

[OldGit]

9. There are 13 knots in a hangman's noose.

BS!  You can tie a hangman's with as many turns as you like.  Less than 4 wouldn't be very stable, but at 13 the knot is almost impossible to slide at all.  (I've tried it!)  Apart from hanging people, for which it's IMO not the best option, it's a good guy-rope knot at around 8 turns. I have used it a few times.

[Ali]

I've heard of women getting induced early just to be certain that their baby wasn't born on a Friday the 13th.  Same with June 06, 2006 (06/06/06) - there were a bunch of women calling in to a local radio station saying that they were scared that their babies were going to be born on that day and claiming they were going to be induced a couple of days earlier to avoid it.   

[xSilverPhinx]

Well so far I have one lucky story to share. We arrived just in time to prevent an employee from suing my mother because my sister doesn't pay rent. Bought us a few hours of time to try and solve the situation.

Don't know if that luck's gonna go sour yet, it's too early to tell.

[Ali]

Why would someone sue your mom for not making your sister pay rent?  Assuming your mom owns the property, isn't it her business whether or not your sister pays rent?

[AnimatedDirt]

I just realized that when you add the month and day of my birthday, these add up to 13

When you add the last two digits of my birth year, these also add up to 13

*gasp!*

[Tank]

I just realized that when you add the month and day of my birthday, these add up to 13

When you add the last two digits of my birth year, these also add up to 13

*gasp!*

I'd never noticed it before but so do mine! Just for the month bit though.

So 49, 58, 67, 76 or 85? Hmmmm 67 or 76? Hmmmm 67 as that would suit your kids age?


So if your birthday falls on one of the following wooooo!!!!
12th Jan
11th Feb
10th Mar
9th Apr
8th May
7th Jun
6th Jul
5th Aug
4th Sep
3rd Oct
2nd Nov
1st Dec

[AnimatedDirt]

I just realized that when you add the month and day of my birthday, these add up to 13

When you add the last two digits of my birth year, these also add up to 13

*gasp!*

I'd never noticed it before but so do mine! Just for the month bit though.

So 49, 58, 67, 76 or 85? Hmmmm 67 or 76? Hmmmm 67 as that would suit your kids age?


So if your birthday falls on one of the following wooooo!!!!
12th Jan
11th Feb
10th Mar
9th Apr
8th May
7th Jun
6th Jul
5th Aug
4th Sep
3rd Oct
2nd Nov
1st Dec

Amazing powers of deduction. 

[Tank]

I just realized that when you add the month and day of my birthday, these add up to 13

When you add the last two digits of my birth year, these also add up to 13

*gasp!*

I'd never noticed it before but so do mine! Just for the month bit though.

So 49, 58, 67, 76 or 85? Hmmmm 67 or 76? Hmmmm 67 as that would suit your kids age?


So if your birthday falls on one of the following wooooo!!!!
12th Jan
11th Feb
10th Mar
9th Apr
8th May
7th Jun
6th Jul
5th Aug
4th Sep
3rd Oct
2nd Nov
1st Dec

Amazing powers of deduction. 

[Whitney]

My grandmother was born on Friday the 13th....in OCTOBER!

[Asmodean]

My grandmother was born on Friday the 13th....in OCTOBER!

A former friend of mine was as well.