Today is Friday the 13th, considered by some to be a very unlucky day, and for those with paraskavedekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th) or triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13) it is especially troubling. In the USA, it is estimated that around 21 million people (8% of the population) have a significant fear of this date.
There are a number of theories as to why this particular date has been considered unlucky, though the true origins have been long lost. Some of the more popular theories plant the roots in a mixture of Christian and Norse tradition.
Norse tradition holds that Loki, the god of mischief, gatecrashed a banquet of the gods at Valhalla, bringing the total number of guests to 13. Loki incited Hod, the blind god of winter, to attack Balder the Good, resulting in Balders death. Since that time, the Norse have considered 13 guests at dinner unlucky. The unlucky association with thirteen was upheld at the Last Supper, where Jesus was betrayed, as there were 13 at the table (Jesus plus 12 disciples).
The name "Friday" was derived from the Norse deity known either as Frigg (goddess of marriage and fertility), or Freya (goddess of sex and fertility), and she was worshipped on the sixth day of the week. This tradition translated to the Romans, who dedicated the sixth day to Venus, Roman goddess of love.
Theory goes that in an attempt to overturn the strong Norse/pagan traditions, the early Christians turned Freya into a witch (her sacred animal was a cat), and made Friday an unlucky day. Some of the Biblical woes that were said to have occured on a Friday include: the day Eve tempted Adam, the day the Great Flood began, the day the Temple of Solomon was destroyed, the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel, and the day Christ was crucified...
Some historians propose that the combination of these two "unlucky" factors occurred 699 years ago on Friday October 13, 1307, when hundreds of Knights Templar were arrested and later tortured into admitting heresy by King Philip IV of France.
Whatever the source of Friday 13th's bad reputation, there is some evidence to suggest that it may actually be an unlucky day, with some people having more accidents that day. Psychologists attribute this to people feeling more anxious on that day, so not concentrating on what is going on around them!
From our perspective as Hypnotherapists, today is a classic case study in the way our minds can bring to our attention the things we expect, often confirming our existing beliefs. So, people who think that Friday 13th is an unlucky day will often prove to themselves that this is so. As Dr Leonard Orr puts it - '
What the thinker thinks, the prover proves'.
Like many phobias, paraskavedekatriaphobia or triskaidekaphobia can often be easily overcome with Hypnotherapy. If Friday the 13th has you staying in bed all day, then why not give us a call ... on Monday!
