Happy Friday the 13th – 2020
Do You Fear Friday the 13th?
The Friday the 13th day is considered the harbinger of bad luck, but as we get closer to the end of 2020, how much worse can it get? Are you willing to chance it?
Why is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky?
On this day, those who suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia, or the fear of Friday the 13th, begin the day feeling uneasy and nervous. But, where did this fear actually come from, and is there any real truth behind it or historical significance? The truth is there is no one explanation for this date being so infamous.
According to some experts, the fear can be traced back to a Norse myth about 12 gods who had dinner at Valhalla and were interrupted by a 13th guest, the evil God Loki. Loki tricked Höðr into shooting his brother and thus the number 13 was branded unlucky. This number 13 comes up a lot including in the last supper with Judas being the 13 guest. Apparently, 12 guests are good, but once you reach 13, lots of bad things happen.
If we move up in time a little bit, the horror movie, Friday the 13th, released in 1980, definitely brought back the unlucky date with Jason, the mask-wearing killer. Let’s not forget some of the every day 13 reference removals such as buildings just skipping over the 13th floor on elevators, street addresses that skip from 12 to 14, some airports don’t even have a 13th gate (That’s a horror movie too by the way).
There have actually been some pretty bad things that have happened throughout history on Friday the 13th. On September 13, 1940, there was the bombing of Buckingham Palace during WWII, Kitty Genovese was murdered in Queens, New York on March 13, 1964, the death of Tupac Shakur occurred on September 13, 1996, and the crash of the Costa Concordia Cruise ship off the coast of Italy took place on January 13, 2012. These are just a few of the bad things that have happened on Friday the 13th, but is a coincidence?
What To Watch Out For On Friday The 13th.
If you are not a risk taker, then it’s important to make a good list of what to avoid on this unlucky day. We scoured the internet, and found a good list of 13 items or things to avoid. So, here we go:
- Skip the 13th floor
- Watch all cracks
- No barbers or salons for haircuts
- Do not even touch a mirror, breaking it would be bad
- Watch out for ladders and don’t go under them.
- Don’t pass funeral processions, you could be next.
- Avoid Giving birth (Old Wives’ tale)
- Don’t throw salt over your shoulder on this day
- Keep away from black cats
- Don’t open umbrellas indoors.
- Don’t rock an empty rocking chair
- Eat soft foods.
- Don’t get engaged or married on this day.
Some of these you may have heard of, others are quite funny. But, if you find this list helpful on this unlucky day, you are welcome and please add to it, but keep them in groups of 13 just for fun.
Friday the 13th Haunted House
If you like the Friday the 13th day and really want to live it to the fullest, go check out the last day of The Mortuary Haunted House. Go test your luck and your ability to shoot zombies with this live, interactive Zombie laser tag haunted house. Good Luck! If you want tickets, check out there WEBSITE.
If you are looking for fun things to do in the New Orleans and surrounding areas, check out our Calendar of Events – HERE.
