Paraskavedekatriaphobia

[MountainDon]

Fear of Friday the 13th.

Have a nice day!   

1. Fear of Friday the 13th — one of the most popular myths in science — is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.

3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number — 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

[Jens]

That is a real mouthful to say!  Never have understood the whole 12 days of Christmas thing.  Maybe I should google it.

[John_C]

So was ye olde baker's dozen of rolls or whatever actually some satanic curse instead of a courteous gesture or a buy 12 get one free marketing ploy?

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

I was born on a Friday the 13th.  The Haitian nurses in the hospital where I was born told Mom that it meant I'd lead "a charmed life" and that it was good luck.  So, I guess the superstition varies with location?  I don't believe in luck, good or bad.

[Windpower]

Elevator in Taiwan

[Redoverfarm]

HT I am with you.  When I was 13 years old my birthday was on Friday the 13th. I guess I really should get another 4 leaf clover as the one I have is almost worn out.