Friday the 13th is a day known for superstitions. People get weird and funny feelings when it comes around. "Be very afraid," some would say. But there is nothing to get all worked up about because this Friday the 13th is the last one of the year to appear.
According to Philly.com, this Friday the 13th is the third and last of the three this year. The other two fell on Jan. 13 and Apr. 13. The next spooky date won't be until Sept. 13, 2013.
So what makes everyone freak out on this particular day of the year? According to Live Science, "any superstitions stem from the same human trait that causes us to believe in monsters and ghosts: When our brains can't explain something, we make stuff up." They list 13 (of course) most common superstitions.
13. Beginner's luck
A belief in beginner's luck might arise because of confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon in which people are more likely to remember events that fit their worldview. If you believe you're going to win because you're a beginner, you're more likely to remember all the times you were right - and forget the times you ended up in last place.
12. Find a penny, pick it up ...
And all day long, you'll have good luck. This little ditty may arise because finding money is lucky in and of itself
11. Don't walk under that ladder!
One theory holds that this superstition arises from a Christian belief in the Holy Trinity: Since a ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle, "breaking" that triangle was blasphemous.
10. Black cats crossing your path
Most likely, this superstition arises from old beliefs in witches and their animal familiars, which were, often, said to take the form of domestic animals like cats.
8. Bad luck comes in threes
The belief that bad luck comes in threes is a classic example. A couple things go wrong, and believers may start to look for the next bit of bad luck. A lost shoe might be forgotten one day, but seen as the third in a series of bad breaks the next.
7. Careful with that mirror
Breaking a mirror is a surefire way to doom yourself to seven years of bad luck. The superstition seems to arise from the belief that mirrors don't just reflect your image; they hold bits of your soul. That belief led people in the old days of the American South to cover mirrors in a house when someone died, lest their soul be trapped inside.
6. 66
Three sixes in a row give some people the chills. It's a superstition that harks back to the Bible. In the Book of Revelation, 666 is given as the number of the "beast," and is often interpreted as the mark of Satan and a sign of the end times.
5. Knock on wood
This phrase is almost like a verbal talisman, designed to ward off bad luck after tempting fate: "Breaking that mirror didn't bring me any trouble, knock on wood."
4. Make a wish on a wishbone
The tradition of turkey bone tug-of-war goes back a long way. Legend has it that first-century Romans used to fight over dried wishbones - which they believed were good luck - and would accidentally break them, ushering in the idea that whoever has the largest bit of bone gets their wish.
3. Cross your fingers
Those wishing for luck will often cross one finger over another, a gesture that's said to date back to early Christianity. The story goes that two people used to cross index fingers when making a wish, a symbol of support from a friend to the person making the wish.
2. No umbrellas inside
Opening an umbrella indoors is supposed to bring bad luck, though the origins of this belief are murky. Legends abound, from a story of an ancient Roman woman who happened to have opened her umbrella moments before her house collapsed, to the tale of a British prince who accepted two umbrellas from a visiting king and died within months.
1. Friday the 13th
If you're not scared of Friday the 13th, you should be scared of the word used to describe those who are: friggatriskaidekaphobics. (An alternative, though just as tongue-twisty, word for the fear is "paraskevidekatriaphobia.") Friday has long been considered an unlucky day (according to Christian tradition, Jesus died on a Friday), and 13 has a long history as an unlucky number.
Whatever your superstition is, don't be so afraid. Be relieved. There won't be another day like it until next year. Until then, just stick it out. You'll be okay. Unless...
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