Do you have “Friggatriskaidekaphobia“?
That’s the word to describe fear of Friday the 13th. And not just the horror movie; the day itself. If you have friggatriskaidekaphobia, chances are you called in sick to work today and are hiding in bed under the covers until the clock reads 12:01 AM.
But why be afraid? According to Wikipedia, fear of Friday the 13th is relatively new. There’s little record of it in historical records before the 1800s. One theory attributes the fear to a fictional novel published in 1907. Others say it’s because while the number twelve often feels complete—12 apostles, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 months, 12 hours on the clock—13 feels like something unnatural, something extra that doesn’t belong.
But on a personal level, I like Friday the 13th. My mom was born on that day. And I’m thankful for her.
In the Jewish religion, 13 is an auspicious number—the age at which boys receive their bar mitzvahs, marking their passage into adulthood. At age 13, they’re finally able to lead worship services and take on other responsibilities.
While some websites seem to only want to talk about bad or scary stuff that’s happened on Friday the 13th, I suspect there have been a lot of great things to happen on that day. What miracles or blessings have you recieved on this “spooky” day? Share them with everyone! Leave a comment below or submit your story to Guideposts!
