Dear Universe,
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to someone about making plans to celebrate a new opportunity when he said, “Well, we can’t do it then because it’s Friday the 13th. That’s bad luck.” I immediately agreed! Of course we wouldn’t go out to toast on Friday the 13th. That’s just asking for trouble.
But that got me wondering—just how did this whole hoopla begin? I wanted to know about the superstitions, the traditions and the ways to combat this freaky Friday.
Here’s what my detective (mostly Wikipedia) work uncovered:
1. Thirteen has long been considered an unlucky number since 12 usually denotes the end of a cycle (12 months in a year, 12 hours on a clock, 12 signs of the zodiac…) Friday is associated with bad luck—Black Friday, for example. Put the two together and well, it’s doubly bad. Scary. Superstitious.
2. There are less fires, accidents and robberies reported on Friday the 13th. Are we really being more careful?
3. There’s a name for the fear Friday the 13th causes: friggatriskaidekaphobia. Yup, say that five times fast. Or just once.
Of course there are the superstitions we’ve all heard about that are triply true on Friday the 13th. Black cats—avoid—not your friends. Don’t walk under a ladder. Sidewalk cracks—don’t mess with them. As for owls? Well, I refuse to believe they are bad luck since apparently that’s my spirit animal.
Want to turn your luck around for the day? Well, after much more in depth research (Googling, clicking) I’ve discovered some suggestions. So cross your fingers and try these things out:
1. Wear your clothes inside out. Don’t ask. Just do it.
2. Is that an acorn in your pocket? Well, it should be. Carrying an acorn around is a symbol of a long life.
3. Sleep on un-ironed sheets. I threw that one in there since it seemed easiest. You’re welcome. 🙂
Thank you for the tips. I’m not sure I’ll reverse my clothes or clutch onto an acorn, but it’s nice to know I have options.
Hope everyone has a curse-free, non-freaky Friday.
With Gratitude,
A
