Do You Suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia?
Say what? Friggatriskaidekaphobia, “Fear of Friday the 13th,” comes from:
Frigga = Friday – from the Old English “Frige’s Day,” named for the Norse goddess Frigg, Thor’s mother (kind of—Odin has some ‘splaining to do)
Triskaideka, Greek for thirteen
Phobia, Greek for, um, phobia
“Put ‘em together and what do you get? Bibbity-bobbity, bibbity-bobbity—” Cut the cute Disney music! Fear of Friday the 13th is a real thing. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, as many as 21 million Americans are stricken with panic, refusing to leave their homes and draining the U.S. economy of nearly a billion dollars–every Friday the 13th!
And fear of the number 13 isn’t just for American fraidy cats, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. The number is universally viewed as “bad luck” because it goes beyond 12, the number of completion (12 months in year, 12+12 hours in a day, 12 inches in a foot, 12 tribes of Israel, etc.). As a result, over 80% of high rises worldwide have no 13th floor (of course they do, but it’s not called that), hospitals and hotels have no Room 13, and houses in Italy are located at number 12 ½ Such-and-sucha Street.
Friggatriskaidekaphobes often point a shaky finger at the Apollo 13 mission, interrupted by a near-fatal on-board explosion on April (you guessed it) the 13th. But wait–the Apollo 13 disaster ended in an “impossible rescue,” a new beginning.
And so did the event that is most often referenced as the source of Fear of Friday the 13th: the Last Supper. On what many believe was the 13th day of the month of Nisan, Jesus and the Apostles—13 persons—ate the Passover meal together, celebrating God’s rescue of the Hebrew people, their new beginning, and like the Apollo 13 astronauts, had their evening interrupted by disaster: Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and crucified. A pretty bad Friday, right?
Wrong.
It’s universally known as Good Friday because it occasioned the definitive impossible rescue. On that day, because he “so loved the world,” God offered the human race a second chance, a new beginning. So…
To all of you friggatriskaidekaphobes, I humbly offer this re-think : Friday the 13th isn’t the ultimate “bad luck” day, it’s the ultimate good luck day. It’s the day love reached its apex. And the number 13 means: a new month, a new year, a new foot, a new chance at life. So happy second chance, happy new beginning…
Happy Friday the 13th!
I don’t suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia. After trying to pronounce this several times, I do suffer from a phobia of having to ever try and pronounce it again 😉
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;>)
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What a great perspective, Mitch! Would never have thought about it since I’ve never given much stock to that sort of superstition, but I like your thoughtful re-focus…a lot. Great post!
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Thank you, Lynn. Happy 13th!
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Very entertaining and inventive post. I never thought of it that way. If someone does suffer from fear of “Friday the 13th,” they wouldn’t have to worry about it again until April 2018 lol. Cheers!
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Cheers back, Ze!
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Thanks!
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Sweet tea and cookies! Love the post 😊
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Today’s Friday the 13th is more so special as the World Egg Day (celebrated every second Friday in October).
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-egg-day-2017/
🙂
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Yay, eggs! Or, as I like to say, “Yeggs!”
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I was in a car accident on Friday the 13th, hit by a drunk driver. Car actually split in half and I was thrown from the vehicle. Sound bad? Everyone walked away unscathed, including me.
So I’m with you, Friday the 13th is a-okay!
Of course, I also live with a black cat. 😉
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Wow, C.J., talk about an “impossible rescue!”
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No wonder I love this day. I’m SUPPOSED to! 😀 Thanks!
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As one born on the 13th (November), I wholeheartedly concur!
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I was born on the 12th (May), so I’m “complete.” Pretty magnanimous of me to welcome you 13th-ers, eh? ;>)
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I love your explanation!
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dulcemaria
thaisrebelde
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Thank you for clarifying, to those who didn’t know, that The Last
Supper was Good Friday and not the origin of Friday the 13th. Now… boo! 🎃
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Love it!
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Love your stuff Mitch…keep writing, you’re inspiring me…
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Aw, so glad to hear that, David.
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Nicely noted! Inspired me to write something about it too! 🙂
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