5 Facts About Friday the 13th

**Jason** · 03-13-2009, 03:18 PM

If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th is one of three to endure this year.

The first came last month. The next is in November. Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years.

The origin of the link between bad luck and Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition permeates society.

Here are five of our favorite Friday-the-13th facts:

1. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths in science - is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.

3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

**WereBo** · 03-13-2009, 06:45 PM

And guess who's flat (apartment) number is 13?

**carsey** · 03-14-2009, 09:37 AM

Isnt one of the linux distros or mac times 1234567890?

**asidman** · 03-14-2009, 03:35 PM

I was born Friday the 13th

csc2000e · 03-14-2009, 03:48 PM

I forgot that yesterday was Friday the 13th. I had a pretty good day. No work. I got a lot of stuff done. I think that if you are constantly dwelling on the something going wrong on say Friday the 13th, then you are more apt to notice. I can't remember anything "going wrong" yesterday.

03-13-2009, 03:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jason BANNED Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pasco, FL Posts: 8,496 OS: Windows Vista My System Blog Entries: 2	5 Facts About Friday the 13th If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th is one of three to endure this year. The first came last month. The next is in November. Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years. The origin of the link between bad luck and Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition permeates society. Here are five of our favorite Friday-the-13th facts: 1. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths in science - is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13. 2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13. 3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13. 4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest. 5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen. __________________ Posting Tips \| Advice for New People \| Common Fixes \| Agus na damnaithe fágtha gan focal Glaoigh ormsa i measc na naomh Love to ONE, friendship to a FEW, and good will to ALL.

03-13-2009, 06:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
WereBo Resident Village Idiot Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SE London, UK Posts: 14,570 OS: Win-7, XP-Pro SP3 My System	Re: 5 Facts About Friday the 13th And guess who's flat (apartment) number is 13? __________________ I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them.

03-14-2009, 09:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
carsey Moderator, TSF Articles Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hunwick, Co. Durham England Posts: 10,693 OS: XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: 5 Facts About Friday the 13th Isnt one of the linux distros or mac times 1234567890? __________________ Submit New Articles Here

03-14-2009, 03:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
asidman Will rule the World Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Port Elizabeth Posts: 4,537 OS: XP SP3, Vista SP1, Windows 7 RC My System	Re: 5 Facts About Friday the 13th I was born Friday the 13th __________________ Submit New Articles Here Try before posting \| Read before posting \| Advice to New Visitors How to post a Screenshot \| Posting system specs \| Posting images (VERY NB)

03-14-2009, 03:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
csc2000e Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 340 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Re: 5 Facts About Friday the 13th I forgot that yesterday was Friday the 13th. I had a pretty good day. No work. I got a lot of stuff done. I think that if you are constantly dwelling on the something going wrong on say Friday the 13th, then you are more apt to notice. I can't remember anything "going wrong" yesterday.