Freaky Friday the 13th

Once again, the date is Friday 13th – notoriously unlucky for some. There are people who think that the date is insignificant and that any mishaps are simply coincidence; but the more superstitious among us spend this date living in fear of what bad things might happen!

Although it’s a well known fact that Friday 13th is a freaky day, but many of us don’t actually know why; it’s one of life’s mysteries. Our Belsize Park Escorts have often wondered why we dislike this day so much.

There is an ancient Norse myth that could explain why 13 is such an unpopular number; during a dinner party with 12 guests, a thirteenth unexpected visitor crashed the party and murdered the God of Joy and Gladness. That would certainly take the fun out of the event.

Along similar lines, Christianity portrays 13 in a negative way as this was the number of guests at the final supper before Jesus was crucified. It is also the number that a hangman’s noose has if correctly tied.

As for the Friday, this was the day on which Jesus was crucified (remembered as Good Friday before Easter Sunday, when he was said to rise from the dead and ascend to heaven), and Eve supposedly gave the apple to Adam on a Friday, leading to mankind’s downfall. The date was also unlucky for the Knights Templar, who were arrested by King Philip on this date because he became jealous of their riches and threatened by their power.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a fear of Friday the 13th. There are all kinds of phobias, this being a very particular one. The superstition was not recorded before the 20th century in any literature or documents, so it is thought to be a fairly modern invention. Millions of people across the world are so scared of this day that they avoid their daily routine for fear of something bad happening; some skip flights or trains, others won’t even leave their beds. In a study carried out in the United States, it was found that around 20 million Americans are affected by a fear of this day. Due to people not going to work or acting as they usually would, around $800 million is lost in business!

British people are affected by some other common superstitions, such as considering it unlucky to walk underneath a ladder, open an umbrella indoors or pass someone on the stairs. If you spill salt, you are supposed to throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck. If you break a mirror, it is said that you will have 7 years bad luck.