Lord Noel Explores Friday The Thirteenth

What ho! Superstitious ones....

How did you get on yesterday?

Anything horrible befall you?

Most cultures have superstitions centred on the number thirteen.

Let us start with a Greek word, which will impress your friends:

Paraskevidekatriaphobia,

....meaning an irrational, even morbid, fear of Friday the 13th.

The Greeks also have word for 'fears associated with number 13':

Triskaidekaphobia [triss-ka-deck-ah-phobia].

Interestingly, the Greeks traditional rivals - the Turks -

....have virtually removed 13 from their vocabulary.

The next time you visit one of those tall office blocks......

....see if they have a 13th Floor.

In fact anytime you hail a lift.....

.....see if it has a button for the 13th Floor.

One superstition is that if 13 people sit down to dinner together.....

.....all of them will die within the year.....

...Oooops! We've got 13 for Xmas dinner this year!!!

One form of this legend dates back to the Norse god of mischief......

....Loki.

The saga tells of Loki gate-crashing a party......

.....bringing the number of guests to 13.

To cut a long saga short, there was a massacre ...

....among whom 'Balder the good' was killed. 

For this reason Norwegians believe........

.....that 13 at a dinner party is bad luck.

Beware also of naming your children with 13 letters in their name......

.....they may be cursed.....

.....for example, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson............Rickie Gervais. 

It's also a good idea to count your women from time to time.....

.....because there are 13 witches in a coven.

How many loaves are there in a 'Baker's Dozen'?

It is superstition that even prevents this number being mentioned by name.......

.....in fact the extra loaf.....

....(presumably the 'runt')......

......was baked as a special bribe for the Devil.....

.....so he wouldn't spoil the entire batch of loaves.

In the Bible, Luke's Gospel Chapter 22, tells us that there were 13 present at the 'Last Supper'.

There is evidence that this Last Supper was held on a Friday.....

....and of course this is when Judas Iscariot......

....betrayed Jesus Christ to the Romans....

...VERY unlucky for JC.

Some people are so afraid that they refuse to get out of bed, or go to work on Friday 13th........

....some people have that feeling MOST days! 

A study in the BMJ [British Medical Journal] in 1993 looked into the relationship between driving and road accidents in the UK on two separate Fridays: the 6th and the 13th.

This study was carried out over a period of years.

They eventually concluded that, "Friday 13th is unlucky for some, as the risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended."

Friday 13th Dates

In 1998 Friday 13th appeared three times in the calendar, February, March and November.

There were three Friday 13ths in 2009..... in the months of February, March and November.

Most other years have two Friday the 13th.

While occasionally, years have only one Friday 13th.......

.....but it is impossible for a year to pass without any Fridays the 13th.....

...so there's really NO ESCAPE!

Tallyho!

Did you stay in bed all day yesterday and use Friday 13th as an excuse?

Best Wishes - Lord Noel & Lady Jacqueline