What's Wrong with Friday the Thirteenth?
Friday, the 13th day of the month, is considered a “bad luck” day in many cultures. This superstition dates back to the Middle Ages and is associated with the curse of the Templars.
The Templars is an order founded in 1119 by a small group of knights. Its mission was to protect pilgrims in journey to the Holy Land – Jerusalem.
On Friday, the 13th, the French monarch, king Philip IV decided to improve his financial situation through the knights Templar, and ordered to arrest the members of the order accused of heresy in that unlucky day. The Order was engaged in usury and was very rich in the XII-XIII centuries; it owned large land estates both in the states created by the crusaders on the territory of Palestine and Syria, and in Europe. The members were arrested on Friday, October 13th, then tortured and killed. According to the legend, the master of the Order cursed that date and those who gathered there for execution.
It is said that the fears of Friday, the 13th along with a black cat crossing the street have no scientific evidence, and are nothing more than superstitions. There were two such Fridays in 2018 – in April and July.
How do people treat this number in different countries?
13 Americans founded the club “13” in New York in the 19th century to avoid the dangerous influence of the unlucky number 13 and prejudice about Friday 13th. Their goal was to ridicule superstition and servility. The club's grand opening took place on Friday, the 13th in room number 13, and a lifetime membership in the club cost $13. Club members, inter alia, deliberately broke mirrors and sprinkled salt at their meetings.
They said that the President Theodore Roosevelt liked the idea, and he himself entered “13”. Such meetings on Friday have become popular all over the world, satellite clubs have been organized in many cities. Club members say that nothing bad happens to them on such Friday. Therefore, they call themselves triskaidekaphils – people who consider the number 13 their lucky number. Many people think that such Friday brings them luck. They also are waiting for the 13th paper on the exam, betting on 13 in casino and so on.
There is a belief in Great Britain that it is a bad sign to go to the sea on Friday, the 13th, while in Portugal and Spain such Friday is considered successful for boat trips.
Americans are very cautious about the unlucky number 13. Few movie theaters have the seat number 13, 13th floor, 13th room.
The British also support US residents in their unreasonable fear of Friday, the 13th, although to a lesser degree. The British try not to prescribe surgery on Friday 13th and do not go to the doctor.
The French avoid the company of 13 people, and if such number of people gathered, they put extra cutlery on the table for the 14th guest.
The specific fear of Friday, the 13th, is called parasquedecathriaphobia or frigatriskaidecaphobia.
Why are Christians still afraid of Friday 13th?
Christian culture connected with tribes of Israel. The problem was that during the Last Supper the man who betrayed Jesus sat thirteenth at the table. As you know, this apostle hanged himself shortly after Jesus was crucified. For this reason, in the 19th century, a superstition spread in Europe that if 13 people sit at the table, then one of them will certainly die within a year after that unluckiest day. There was even a profession of the “fourteenth guest”, who was invited to a meeting to avoid unlucky number. By the way, the 13th chapter of the Gospel of John presents the betrayal of Judah. And in the 13th chapter of the last book of the New Testament – the Revelation of John the Evangelist – we may find the terrible Number of the Beast 666.
Friday myth spread
In 1980, an American horror movie called “Friday the 13th” about a maniac killer in a hockey mask was released. The movie had more than 10 sequels and adaptations, the last one released in 2009.
Obviously, computer hackers were popularizers of those myths about Friday, the 13th. They repeatedly carried out virus attacks on Friday. For example, the Israeli Virus epidemic was launched on Friday, the 13th of May, in 1988.
Magic number 13
The reason for the mystical fear of Friday is simple to understand. This is a double whammy. Even the ancient Jews designated thirteen and the word "death" with the same sign. The belief that forbids sowing on the thirteenth day of any month goes back, at least, to Hesiod (VIII century BC).
That is why such Friday is connected with the concept of death, since the latter means transition to a new life phase, which is a different being in relation to physical existence.
It is not surprising that 13 has been associated with the devil since antiquity. If we compare the elements of its symbolic interpretation: renewal, destruction of the static "divine" order (symbolized by the previous number 12), rebirth and the beginning of a new life, destruction of illusions, emphasis on material aspects of life – we will see that all these are features of darkness.
A little more of numerology
Thirteen indicates a person who has optimistic view of life and inexhaustible vital energy. These people can clearly express their thoughts, catch up with new ideas and move up the career ladder. This figure also represents hard work, largely based on family or corporate traditions.
The numbers 1 and 3 are strong; they predict career success. Such numbers are characterized in terms of practicality, energy, consistency and implementation.
People born on Friday are creative and intelligent individuals. They have their own very specific point of view. Such people are proud, independent, and ambitious. Their undertakings are always completed on time, without delaying the implementation of their plans to a later date. Good Friday people have the ability to learn on the fly and have a tenacious memory. They learn with minimal effort.
The sum of primes gives us four, which is a symbol of insight. Pay attention to your life: a frequent occurrence of the number thirteen reports significant changes. You cannot influence them in any way, and therefore, regardless of the energy of change, they must appear in your life. Change will help spiritual development and personal growth.
This figure is associated with dark forces in Kabbalah and is a symbol of Lucifer himself. It is also a symbol of the Mother of Christ, who gave birth to the Savior. If we add the number of apostles and Christ together, we get 13.
A famous number radiates the good news
This is a clear sign of victory and successful completion of the work begun. People illuminated by this number are distinguished by a sharp mind and well-developed intelligence. They remember their mistakes and never forget their debts. These are sociable people, who can develop and absorb new information. Such people never abandon the work they have begun, and most often bring it to its logical conclusion. They are not afraid of problems or troubles on the path to success, these difficulties make them stronger than ever.
If you have this number in the date of birth, then you need to learn how to accept it, and not push it away from you. You can only direct its influence on your life, and what it will be is depends on you. Remember that everyone has both good and bad moments in life, do not blame the number. Learn to find a way out of this situation, otherwise the result may be unpredictable.
Pure math
There is another assumption: the basis of distrust of the number 13 is a mathematical justification. The ‘twelve” represents harmony and completeness. The year has 12 months, there are 12 signs in the Zodiac circle, night and day last for 12 hours. The number 13, following 12 destroys harmony and order, expressing transformation and rebirth.
What, in fact, do numerologists think about this? 13 is the beginning of a new cycle, and the new always conceals uncertainty and therefore seems dangerous. People who are afraid of Friday the thirteenth and bypass black cats tend to live by inertia, guided by old principles that are not always applicable to the new situation. The number 13, from the point of view of numerology, symbolizes not only the beginning of a new cycle and a break with the past, but also the destruction of illusions, a glance at the truth. Friday the 13ths is neither happy nor unhappy.
Prejudice is strong because it leaves its mark on our thinking and is reflected in expectations. Many people themselves are capable of bringing bad luck with their negative thoughts, and 13 has nothing to do with it. For example, tetraphobia is very common in Asia – fear of the number 4. And there also octophobes – they are scared by number 8.
Let’s imagine someone who was born on unlucky Friday the thirteenth at 13 hours 13 minutes in the maternity hospital number 13. He lives in the house and apartment with number 13. What would you think? How unlucky this person is, especially at thirteenth birthday. However, this person can be a hundred times happier than others. For many people 13 is a happy life sign.
Modern numerology considers all numbers as a kind of simplified numerical code. This code is based primarily on the theories of Pythagoras, developed long before our era. All numbers are reduced to a single one from 1 to 9. If we consider 13, we get 4 (1 + 3).
How to avoid trouble on Friday the thirteenth
Let's imagine for a moment, a person is swimming in the river, when inexplicable events suddenly happen, and that person is drowning. What to do in this case? Of course, this person is scared and trying to find a way out of the situation.
You shouldn’t panic, because you will harm yourself even more. Try to take away the fear, behave appropriately. Only then you will be able to go ashore. It also happens in life when we face problems. It is necessary to analyze the situation, and only then make a decision.
Life is sometimes unpredictable. We need to learn how to adapt. It doesn’t always happen the way we want. However, it is not necessary at such moments to become rude and show your character, this will not bring positive results.
This number gives tips to a person, trying to protect him/her from problems like any other number. Take it for granted, but do not ignore messages from above. Act more restrained with others, control your emotions. Selfishness, ambitiousness can play a trick on you. Be careful.
Why are we afraid of superstitions?
The short answer: the unconsciousness is the one to blame.
Our ancestors, whose brain had undeveloped frontal lobes, and whose culture had a lack of science, still tried to understand what was happening around them. What explanation could they find, for example, for lightning, which can easily give fire and kill a person?
Naturally, lightning was endowed with those qualities attributed to a stronger being: strength, danger, insolence, ability to protect or punish, anger. It looks like the image of Zeus, right?
There was no time for a caveman to carry out scientific analysis of lightning, moreover, the frontal lobes responsible for the logic were in their infancy, remember? By the way, laboratory equipment for the study of lightning will be difficult to get even for you in the 21st century. A high speed camera will cost $ 50,000. Belief in Zeus or the prophet Elijah is free!
We go further – if a stronger person cannot be defeated, then he can be appeased. The same thing goes with lightning and with the gods – sacrifices, rituals, magical actions became the psychological shield that protected ... no, not from lightning, but from concern about lightning. Predictions are also a kind of defense.
Consequently, “magical thinking”, thanks to which the forces of nature become concrete characters, helped our ancestors make the world more understandable and controlled.