I stumbled upon an article I’d posted a couple years ago about “Friday the Thirteenth” and thought I’d again share some of what I learned about the subject. At least a few of you, I’m sure, believe the day to be unlucky while others of you believe it to be nothing more than superstitious folklore. Regardless, it is what it is and, right or wrong, some folks take it quite seriously. Here are a few factoids:

A Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck in English and Portuguese-speaking cultures around the globe. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia. (Say that three times quickly!) Months whose first day falls on a Sunday will contain a Friday the 13th. (Didn’t know that, did you!)

The first recorded incident relating to Friday the 13th refers to the massacre of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307. Pope Clement V viewed the Templar as a threat, so he decreed that they be eliminated. The Vatican was not directly involved in the massacre, but rather acted through King Philip IV of France. Philip sent letters to his forces all over the country with instructions to seek out and arrest all known members of the Knights, slaughter those that resisted, and capture Jacques DeMolay, the last known Grand Master of the Knights Templar.

Another possible origin relates to the Last Supper. Judas, the thirteenth guest, was instrumental in the Crucifixion of Jesus, which is believed to have happened on a Friday. Other theories suggest that Eve offered the apple to Adam on a Friday or the slaying of Abel happened on a Friday.

Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they’re simply unable to get out of bed when Friday the 13th rolls around. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute estimates that more than 17 million people are affected by a fear of this day. A British Medical Journal study has shown that there is a significant increase in traffic related accidents on Friday the 13ths. (Despite that, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don’t suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays.)

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I ran across an article I’d written and posted on my AFP website last year about “Friday the Thirteenth” and thought I’d share with you some of what I learned about the subject. At least a few of you, I’m sure, believe that day to be unlucky while others of you believe it to be nothing more than superstitious folklore. Regardless, it is what it is and, right or wrong, some folks take it quite seriously. Here are a few factoids:

A Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck in English and Portuguese-speaking cultures around the globe. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia. (Say that three times quickly!) All months whose first day falls on a Sunday will contain a Friday the 13th. (Didn’t know that, did you!)

The first recorded incident relating to Friday the 13th refers to the massacre of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307. Pope Clement V viewed the Templar as a threat, so he decreed that they be eliminated. The Vatican was not directly involved in the massacre, but rather acted through King Philip IV of France. Philip sent letters to his forces all over the country with instructions to seek out and arrest all known members of the Knights, slaughter those that resisted, and capture Jacques DeMolay, the last known Grand Master of the Knights Templar.

Another possible origin relates to the Last Supper. Judas, the thirteenth guest, was instrumental in the Crucifixion of Jesus, which is believed to have happened on a Friday. Other theories suggest that Eve offered the apple to Adam on a Friday or the slaying of Abel happened on a Friday.

Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they’re simply unable to get out of bed when Friday the 13th rolls around. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute estimates that more than 17 million people are affected by a fear of this day. A British Medical Journal study has shown that there is a significant increase in traffic related accidents on Friday the 13ths. (Despite that, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don’t suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays.)

An interesting side note: In the Spanish-speaking world, it is Tuesday the 13th (as well as Tuesdays in general) that brings bad luck; a Spanish proverb reads, “En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques.” (On Tuesday, neither get married nor start a journey.)

Those of you who believe in this sort of thing will be relieved to know that 2007’s two occurrence of Friday the Thirteenth have already come and gone. 2008 will have just one — in June. But watch out in 2009 which has three — February, March and November! The chart on the right will help remind you which days to stay in bed, at least during the current 28 year cycle.

So, is Friday the thirteenth really unlucky or is this belief just a hangover from the time when the patriarchal, male-centered religion of Christianity was trying to differentiate itself from and destroy its ancient, pagan, goddess-loving competitors? Decide for yourself. You can learn more about Friday the thirteenth here, here and here. And no, none of the preceding material was sourced from Dan Brown’s fictional novel The Da Vinci Code. No, not the movie, either. Really.

        Click to enlargeThey still haven’t found a cure for the common cold, mind you, but I’m happy to report that scientists have been hard at work analyzing the dynamics of cow tipping — “a pastime allegedly common in rural areas, in which participants sneak up on an upright sleeping cow and then push it over for amusement” — and concluded it would require 4.43 able-bodied hayseeds to accomplish the task.

The physics seem sound. One objection that could be raised, however, is that the formula fails to take one critical factor into account: the total volume of alcohol consumed prior to the event. The groundbreaking study deserves kudos nonetheless. Read more…

Personally, I’m of the school of thought that believes cow tipping is pure urban legend. After all, I’ve never known anyone who has actually tipped a cow. Usually, they know a guy who knows a guy who has a friend whose crazy cousin Wilbur from Wisconsin used to go drinking with some guys who tried to break the local record for cows successfully tipped in one night, and probably would have if the cops hadn’t showed up and spoiled the attempt.

But I’m always open to being proven wrong, so if you’re a real live cow tipper and are willing to prove your unusual skill by tipping a few for me, let me know. I’ll bring the video camera and a case of beer. Maybe we can put this age old question to rest once and for all…

For more information and science on this exciting and controversial subject, check out Wikipedia where offered are evidence that cow tipping is an urban myth and, conversely, the possibility that cow tipping may be achievable.

Although most of us would probably affirm that superstition’s role in Western culture is now a much diminished one, more a source of amusement than anything else, there are still those who allow  their trepidation over particular days or dates to prevent them from engaging in their choice of activities. We may make jokes about Friday the 13th and only kiddingly instruct loved ones to exercise greater care on that day, but those who suffer from a fear of the number thirteen (triskaidekaphobia) or a fear of Friday the 13th (paraskevidekatriaphobia) may genuinely feel limited by the rumored potential for ill luck connected with the date.

Superstitions regarding Friday the 13th are not nearly as old as most people tend to think. The belief in Friday the 13th as a day on which Murphy’s Law reigns supreme and anything that can go wrong will go wrong appears to be largely a 20th century phenomenon. (The claim that the Friday the 13th superstition began with the arrest of the final Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques Demolay, on Friday, October 13, 1307, is a modern-day invention.)

These days, however, one is unlikely to get so much as a free latte out of the day. Sanguinity comes at a price.

For more information on the origins and history of Friday the 13th, try here and here.