Friday the 13th: Movies, Disasters, Bad Luck and Superstitions

What is the big deal about Friday the 13th? It's a day that many people fear. Many movies have been made with the title Friday the 13th. There are all kinds of rumors and superstitions surrounding this date in history. There is even a phobia of Friday the 13th.Paraskevidekatriaphobics is having a morbid fear of Friday the 13th.

There have long been superstitions surrounding just the number thirteen. Tall skyscrapers, hotels, apartment buildings have been built without the 13th floor. Of course they really have a 13th floor, but to appease people they just number it the 14th floor. Lets just face it many people fear the number 13 and consider it unlucky.

On Friday the 13th some unexplainable things sometimes occur. Things such as: blackouts, crime (although this happens everyday), pranks, accidents and more. Some people are so afraid of this date that they won't even venture out of their house for fear of some bad happening to them. Others won't plan anything on Friday the 13th.

Why exactly is Friday the 13th considered unlucky? There are a few reasons, first is the unlucky number 13 as I mentioned before. Why don't people like the number 13, also known as the devils dirty dozen? Most hands point toward the last supper from the Christian religion. There were thirteen in the room at that meal, and then Jesus Christ was betrayed and killed. Many cultures also associated the number 13 with death.

Friday the 13th is also considered unlucky because of Friday's are some times considered unlucky. There is Good Friday when Jesus was put on trial and killed. There is also Black Friday when the stock market crashed in 1929. But Black Friday is also used for other bad events that happened around the world. There are many urban legends about bad luck happening on Friday's.

Let us not also forget the space shuttle mission to the moon called the Apollo 13. For those of you that don't know or remember the Apollo 13 mission by NASA was launched on Friday the 13th. The mission was launched exactly at 13:13 on Friday the 13th in 1970. They were scheduled to go to the moon, but never made it there. The astronauts in the Apollo 13 mission almost didn't make it back to earth alive. They had electrical problems, problems with oxygen and were lucky to make it back home. Do you think maybe now NASA has reason to be superstitious?

We will always have a Friday the 13th every year. Some years we will have as many as three Friday the 13th's in one calendar year. So your choices are to continue believing that there is nothing wrong with this date. Or give into your superstitions and stay inside on this day. You could be extra careful on Friday the 13th. It is all up to you. I choose to believe that there is nothing different about Friday the 13th. Whatever you choose to believe, have a Happy Friday the 13th!