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The Mystery of Friday the 13th - Paraskevidekatriaphobia

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Walter Hinteler
 
Reply Mon 9 Feb, 2004 11:20 am
My former sister-in-law is since weeks in asantorium, after she became unconscious, fall down the steps and got multiple cranial fractures.
Now she is doing much better, really fine I think. Thus, I want to visit her and asked her today, which afternoon would be the best - besides Friday. "Oh, of course you can't come on Friday! It's the 13th and Friday!"

Actually, I have other plans on Friday; besides, I don't like the weekend traffic jams.
But thus, I got the idea for this thread.


Friday is the Sabbath of the Jewish lunar calendar and the Sabbath of Islam. Scandinavian Pagans, Hindus, rural Scots, and Germans [what? we being in one line with 'rural Scots' Shocked :wink: ] consider Friday to be a most propitious day for a marriage or courting because they consider it a day favoring fertility.

But next Friday, it's again a 13th of a month ...
What are the factors that gave this day such a bad reputation?

David Emery of Urban Legends and Folklore website explores the reasons why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky.

Read more on this LINK
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 691 • Replies: 7
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Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Mon 9 Feb, 2004 11:21 am
Below you find two summeries of scientific researches (one mentioned in the above link) on the said phenomen:
Quote:
Is Friday the 13th bad for your health?

Scanlon TJ, Luben RN, Scanlon FL, Singleton N.

Department of Public Health, Mid Downs Health Authority, Haywards Health, West Sussex.

OBJECTIVE--To examine the relation between health, behaviour, and superstition surrounding Friday 13th in the United Kingdom. DESIGN--Retrospective study of paired data comparing driving and shopping patterns and accidents. SUBJECTS--Drivers, shoppers, and residents. SETTING--South West Thames region. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Numbers of vehicles on motorways; numbers of shoppers in supermarkets; and hospital admissions due to accidents. RESULTS--There were consistently and significantly fewer vehicles on the southern section of the M25 on Friday the 13th compared with Friday the 6th. The numbers of shoppers were not significantly different on the two days. Admissions due to transport accidents were significantly increased on Friday 13th (total 65 v 45; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS--Friday 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52%. Staying at home is recommended.

PMID: 8292946 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Quote:
Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Dec;159(12):2110-1.
Traffic deaths and superstition on Friday the 13th.

Nayha S.

Department of Public Health Science and General Practice, University of Oulu, Oulu FIN-00014, Finland. [email protected]

OBJECTIVE: This study compared deaths from traffic accidents on Friday the 13th with those on other Fridays in a national population. METHOD: The author examined the daily deaths from traffic accidents by sex and age and the mean daily temperature in Finland, 1971-1997. Adjusted risk ratios for death on Friday the 13th versus other Fridays were obtained by negative binomial regression. RESULTS: In men, the adjusted risk ratio for dying on Friday the 13th, compared with other Fridays, was 1.02, but for women, it was 1.63. An estimated 38% of traffic deaths involving women on this day were attributable to Friday the 13th itself. CONCLUSIONS: Friday the 13th may be a dangerous day for women, largely because of anxiety from superstition. The risk of traffic deaths on this date could be reduced by one-third, although the absolute gain would remain very small: only one death per 5 million person-days.

PMID: 12450968 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Mon 9 Feb, 2004 11:21 am
This is quite interesting as well:

In the early hours of Friday, Oct. 13, 1307, soldiers acting on orders from King Philip IV of France seized all Templar properties and arrested all Templars within his Kingdom.

Although King Philip's arrests were in clear violation of the Pope's prerogatives, Pope Clement V failed to oppose or even vigorously protest against the arrest of clergy ostensibly subject only to himself.
http://www.helena-schrader.com/Burning%20of%20Templars.jpg
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Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Mon 9 Feb, 2004 11:24 am
And some more information is to be found
HERE!

http://www.crystalinks.com/movskeleton.gif
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colorbook
 
  1  
Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2004 01:32 pm
I have no superstitions for Friday the 13th. I owned a black cat for 18 years. Within this time I found that a few people that came in contact with him were afraid to touch or pet my him.


Paraskevidekatriaphobia is not only a long word, it is also hard to pronounce.
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InTraNsiTiOn
 
  1  
Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2004 01:36 pm
Hell Friday the 13th is usually the best day of the year! IMO
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Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2004 01:43 pm
colorbook wrote:
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is not only a long word, it is also hard to pronounce.


And unnecessary as there is a more common, shorter, and more pronnouncable word for it: triskaidekaphobia
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Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2004 01:44 pm
colorbook wrote:

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is not only a long word, it is also hard to pronounce.


Ever tried to write it without "paste and copy"? Laughing
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