It's Friday the 13th!
Friday June 13, 2008
There are a ton of myths, legends and other hullaballoo surrounding this date. For example:
Upper-class Romans required thirteen guests to be present at weddings. In the Hebrew faith, age thirteen is when a young man or woman is finally considered an adult.
Finally, thirteen has a strong association with the moon for modern Pagans and Wiccans. There are thirteen lunar cycles each year, and many of us celebrate the full moons with an Esbat rite. Thirteen is the traditional number of witches in a coven. Wiccan author Scott Cunningham published The Thirteen Goals of a Witch in his book Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner, loosely basing the list on an older British traditional source.
What does the number thirteen mean to you? Does it have positive connotations, or negative? Will you be celebrating something magical this Friday the 13th?
- The fear of Friday the 13th is called Paraskevidekatriaphobia. Many employers actually have a high rate of employees calling in sick on this date, because people are so worried about bad things happening on their way to work.
- Back in 1306, King Philip of France had hundreds of Knights Templar arrested on Friday, October 13. They were tortured and then executed - definitely bad luck for the Knights Templar.
- A lot of hotels and skyscrapers don't have a thirteenth floor -- they go straight from twelve to fourteen.
- Many fisherman and sailors believe it's bad luck to begin a voyage on a Friday, regardless of the date.
Upper-class Romans required thirteen guests to be present at weddings. In the Hebrew faith, age thirteen is when a young man or woman is finally considered an adult.
Finally, thirteen has a strong association with the moon for modern Pagans and Wiccans. There are thirteen lunar cycles each year, and many of us celebrate the full moons with an Esbat rite. Thirteen is the traditional number of witches in a coven. Wiccan author Scott Cunningham published The Thirteen Goals of a Witch in his book Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner, loosely basing the list on an older British traditional source.
What does the number thirteen mean to you? Does it have positive connotations, or negative? Will you be celebrating something magical this Friday the 13th?
Comments
Happy Friday the 13th Ya’ll!!
I find it so funny that hotels have no 13th floor - sorry, but unless they have and empty floor in between 12 and 14 - they have a 13th floor. Always cracks me up when I am in an elevator with no 13!
As far as what this day means for me: I try not to over think it. As I am a Padawan-Witch I haven’t quite tapped into my power yet, however I find this day fascinateing: so many apparently normal people will gladly blame a crappy day on it being Friday the 13th. Poor number 13 - it gets such a bad rap!
I have always found Friday the 13th to be a very lucky day. I was married on 6/13 (a long time ago). Funny how some industries consider the number unlucky, yet its found in gambling a lot.
I was born many moons ago on Friday September 13th, so it has been a very lucky day for me indeed.
I love to tell people that too
I’ve always had a normal or a really good Friday 13th even as a child. I feel good that day.
Friday the 13th has commonly been a positive luck day for me. I tell people if you have a bad attitide about the day you will have bad luck and that just leaves more good luck for those of us who love the day!
–*–Happy Friday the 13th!!–*–
Friday the 13th was a very good day for me! It’s awesome to see that people embrace this date!
My store has no aisle 13. They skip straight from 12 to 14.
Well, for the most part of my past i never believed the crap about friday the 13th. however this friday the 13th my grandmother who i called grams passed away.
it is a very rough thing for me to get through wit it of been on a friday the 13th.
however the perspectives you give abt the pagan and wiccan background of it may change my pain a little. it makes some good points.
Samual, my condolences on your family’s loss. May your Grams be met with open arms by her ancestors as she crosses over.
patti
I was born om a friday the 13th and its always my lucky number..everywhere i turn there is a 13 literally no joke.