This is the first Friday the 13th of the year.
To superstitious people, this is not a good day at all. Why all this superstition came about is very well explained here. Which also gives me an opportunity to make you aware of the "How stuff works" site, if you did not already know it existed. It is a great site explaining anything between heaven and earth.
In any way, in short, Friday on its own has always been considered as an unlucky day. Particularly sailors disliked embarking on voyages on Fridays and I just know that it means bad luck to get married on a Friday as well. This is all bad news for a Friday lover such as me. Although I am not married, I have embarked on numerous journeys in my life, all starting on Friday and they all were very lucky and safe. Actually, I once flew to California on Friday the 13th.;)
Why Friday the 13th is a particularly bad day is not clear either, although one story relates it to the Friday the 13th, 1306, when King Philip of France arrested the revered Knights Templar.
I myself am sometimes puzzled by the fact that number 13 in the western culture means bad luck. In my Slavic culture, 13 is a lucky number. In fact I was given a golden number thirteen pendant (picture) as a newborn, for good luck. I still have it to this day, but I do not wear it. However, being reminded of the fact that I have it, I might wear it again.
Eventually I like to believe that neither numbers nor particular days of the week has anything to do with our luck. Nevertheless, I will be paying extra attention to everything around me today.;))
15 comments:
I think it is people's fear of the unknown, what they don't understand and cannot explain, that is behind all this. They often try to blame somebody or something for things they cannot control themselves. In my opinion it is a bit like religion, used by people in power both as a stick and a carrot, to create a stable society they are in control of.
In Greek culture, too, I think, 13 is LUCKY! And as you know, I AM the Gal Friday(who grew up with a long last name meaning Friday in Greek) so Fridays are always good for me!
Actually, Friday The 13th always turns out to be a pretty good day and I can honestly say have never had a bad day on any Friday The 13th in recent memory.
Learning that you have embarked on trips on Friday The 13th is helping esrase any lingering feelings of superstition about that date for me. (even though, I still won't walk under a ladder)
When I was a kid, I believed that Friday the 13th equals bad luck day. I remember one day on a Friday the 13th, so many bad things happened to me! I guess it was all just a coincidence. Funny, ha! :D
Oh, I just had the most wonderful date with my boyfriend today (on a Friday the 13th). Everything turned out so well! hehe :)
Good stuff!
There will be another Friday the 13th a month from today.
I choose to see the good too!
Thanks for the encouragement!
I like to fly on the 13th because a lot of people don't... there's always room to stretch out ;)
I got married on a Friday the 13th, and though you might consider it unlucky because we're no longer a couple, we're still very good friends so there had to be some good luck going for us there. :)
When I was young, for a stretch of a few years, I was having unusually bad luck on the Thursday the 12th for some reason. Go figure. :)
That's a very interesting pendant you were given, P! Very interesting post!
So.....did you ever end up wearing the "13" pendant on Friday?
My son's favorite number is 13! And it's his number on his basketball jersey! I think I'd rather think of it as lucky instead of unlucky!
Well,well, well. In Sarawak or Malaysia generally, if a building is owned by a Chinese don't be surprised if you don't see number 13 on hotel lifts, or room no.13. It's due to the superstition. Among the Malays the children are made to believe that ghosts and evil spirits roam in the dark on Thursday night, which is referred here as 'Friday evening'.Some superstitions die hard. However I don't subscrbe to such supersition.
My brother was born on Friday the 13th. (And, yes...he is soooo odd ;), but that is a story for another day.) I like to think that I am not superstitious, but I totally am. I let the smallest things freak me out!
I truly enjoy all of your posts, but the one two days ago about the package from your Irish man. Well I bet you can't guess...it REALLY pulled at my heart strings. That was such a romantic post. I am very happy for you that you have him, and that he knows how wonderful you truly are.
Very pretty pendant!
My grandma used to joke that her lucky number was 13. :-) She also said it was bad luck to walk under ladders because the guy on the ladder might drop something. Black cats were unlucky because they were hard to see in the dark. That is, the cats got the bad luck.
BTW, did you know that it's reversed in England? There a black cat is considered lucky, while a white one represents bad luck.
So, to perfectly sum up this post; my reply to all of your lovely comments is no.13;))
=swenglishexpat, I agree. This is so evident in everything. We fear what we do not understand. I think it is important in life to embrace what is different, and try to understand it.
But I guess a bit of superstition, just like a bit of everything, isn’t so bad after all. Everything in moderation, right?:)
Thanks for stopping by.;))
=Tina, I haven never had a bad Friday the 13th. I think people juts need something like this to relate to, in case bad things indeed happen. Eventually I think that if you believe in the curse of Friday the 13th, it will be a bad day for sure.
I am happy you share my love for Fridays, TGIFs are simply the best.;) And no, I did not wear that pendant yet, but I might very well add it to the small cross I wear at all times.;))
=Noelle, I am so happy to hear about your wonderful date! This means Friday the 13th was a lucky one for you. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day my sweet Noelle.;))xoxo
=Julie, I love your spirit. And I feel the same, I hope your Valentine’s Day is lovely; but knowing you; it will.;))
=Diane, I love that! I am not sure I would willingly choose to fly on Friday the 13th anymore , but I love that you do.;)) I hope you will have a great evening today.;))
=Hillary, that just shows that number 13th is a lucky number! I hope this Thursday was good to you though.;) I like to believe that luck I what we make it to be; it has very little to do with numbers and days of the week and I think you are a true proof of that.;))
=Woman Of No Importance, I love that little pendant, I guess mostly as it is the oldest jewellery I of mine. I own other things that were given to me, which belonged to my grandmother and her grandmother in its turn. Thank you for your kind words, hope your Friday was good. And thank you again for the award,;))
=Betsy, I am glad the number 13 is a good one in your family. And judging from your yesterdays post, he really is a lucky boy.;))
=Mahmud, it is the same here. There are no 13th floors and I have once stayed in room no. 14, which was right next to no. 12. It is a bit like; whom are they kidding? I was in no. 13 for all I knew, they just skipped the number.
Superstition is fun, but I do not get sucked into the whole thing; I only find it amusing and perhaps interesting around Halloween, but that is all;))
Thank you as away for your wonderful comment.;))
=Holly, was he ever teased for that? Particularly when all the Friday the 13th movies were out?;))
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment regarding my packages post.;)) He is a very special man. And guess what? As I am typing this on Saturday afternoon, I have to parcels in front of me, which arrived today.;))
Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day Holly.;)) xoxo
=Keera, my sister’s lucky numbers are 7 and 13. I agree with your grandma, she was so right. Superstitious most likely comes from common sense.;))
I did not know that black cats were considered lucky in England. In my culture if a black cat crosses your path, you are suppose to spit. Very odd. But then again; it depends which side the cat crosses from; from one side it is considered lucky, while the other is unlucky. The thing is I can’t recall which one is which! LOL
Hope you are having great Valentine’s Day Keera.;))
I was going to say the thing about the Knights Templar, but you did it! My dad and my great-grandmother were both born on Friday the 13th's so it can't be too bad, knowing them!
=Mel, I am happy that so many people have good stories to tel about Friday the 13th;))
I really think that superstition only works if you believe in it.;)
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