1. It is also known as Black Friday in some countries;
2. It is seen as an unlucky day in Western superstition;
3. The superstition only gained widespread distribution in the 19th century;
4. The fear of the number 13 has been given a scientific name - triskadekaphobia;
5. But the fear of Friday the 13th is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia;
6. It is unknown how the superstition to this day started, but both Friday and the number 13 are connected with the crucifixion of Christ. The last supper took part on a Thursday and there were 13 people at the table;
7. Friday has been seen as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects since the 14th century;
8. The publication of Thomas W Lawson's novel, Friday, the Thirteenth, may have contributed to the superstition. It is about an unscrupulous broker who takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th;
9. On Friday, October 13, 1307, hundreds of Knights Templar were arrested in France, possible giving rise to the fear on that day.
DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL FRIDAY 13TH SUPERSTITIONS?
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