Triskaidekaphobia: Fear of the number thirteen.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th.
An
obviously irrational concept that a mere number can bring bad luck to
someone. Or that a specific day of the
week can be unlucky. But that doesn't
stop us from dwelling on the possibility.
This week
gives us Friday the 13th. The tradition
of Friday being a day of bad luck dates back centuries with some of the more
common theories linking it to significant events in the Bible believed to have
taken place on Friday such as the Crucifixion of Christ, Eve offering Adam the
apple in the Garden of Eden, the beginning of the great flood.
Many
sources for the superstition surrounding the number thirteen and its
association with bad luck also derive from Christianity with the Last Supper
being cited as the origin. Judas was the
thirteenth person to be seated at the table.
And when
you put the two bad luck symbols together you get Friday the 13th—the
day associated with misfortune.
One legend
of the origin of Friday the 13th as unlucky comes from the persecution
of the Knights Templar. Philip IV of France borrowed enormous sums of money
from the very wealthy Templars to finance a war with England. An ineffectual
king and an even worse military commander, Philip was easily defeated. He saw a
way of both currying favor with the Pope and eliminating his huge debt. On that
fateful day of Friday, October 13, 1307, he ordered all Templars arrested and
their property seized. The Grandmaster of the order, Jacques DeMolay was thrown
in prison along with several other high-ranking members of the order. The
Knights Templar, which had dominated medieval life for two centuries, were no
more. Unfortunately for Philip, the Templars had learned of his planned
treachery before hand. Many of them escaped and their vast stores of treasure
were hidden from the King's soldiers. Jacques DeMolay was burned alive after
being tortured when he refused to admit to any wrongdoing. Another legend that
has also persisted is that Jacques DeMolay cursed both Philip IV and Pope
Clement V, as he died. Philip and Clement died within months of DeMolay's
death.
Superstition
is a belief or notion not based on reason or knowledge. An irrational belief. Lots of superstitions came into being during
the Dark Ages, a time when living conditions were so severe that people reached
out to anything that might bring them help and solace with the results being
explanations for what seemed unexplainable at the time. Religious beliefs and lack of scientific
knowledge helped to spawn many superstitions.
Superstitions
differ from culture to culture, but we all have them even if it's only paying
surface homage to the concept. We don't
believe in the good luck vs. bad luck of chain letters, yet it often comes down
to saying what's the harm, then
sending the letter on to avoid breaking the chain.
We often
follow the tradition of the superstition without really knowing why it's the traditional thing to do. If we blow out all the candles on our
birthday cake with one breath while making a silent wish, then the wish will
come true. When expressing a desire for
good luck (we'll be able to go on the picnic if it doesn't rain), we grin, then
we knock on wood as we emit an
embarrassed chuckle.
In Western
folklore, many superstitions are associated with bad luck. In addition to Friday the 13th,
there's walking under a ladder, having a black cat cross your path, spilling
salt, stepping on a crack, and breaking a mirror among others.
In
addition to cultural superstitions, there's also certain occupations that evoke
various rituals to bring on good luck.
It seems to me that gamblers and sports figures have the most
superstitions and rituals to insure good luck.
Do you
have any superstitions that you hold dear?
Are they more of a traditional situation handed down through your family
or are they superstitions that have come down through history?
And I'm
sure there won't be any unpleasantries or bizarre accidents this Friday (knock on wood).
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