Do You Have Paraskevidekatriaphobia?

Friday the 13th

Lets start with some interesting facts and superstitions about Friday the 13th.

Friday the 13th is also known as paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia - someone suffering from this phobia has an acute fear of Friday the 13th. Just a fear of the number 13 in any capacity is called triskaidekaphobia.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia comes from Frigg, the Norse goddess of wisdom after whom Friday is named, and the Greek words triskaideka, meaning 13, and phobia, meaning fear. Paraskevidekatriaphobia is also derived from Greek: paraskeví translates as Friday, and dekatria is another way of saying 13.

In order for a month to have a Friday the 13th in it, the month must begin on a Sunday. But you will not have to worry about having more than 3 in a year.

May 13, 2016 is the last Friday the 13th this year.

Not all countries consider Friday the 13th bad luck. For instance in Italy, Friday is considered a lucky day while Friday the 17th is their bad luck day. Other countries like France, Greece and many Spanish speaking countries consider Tuesday the 13th to be their unlucky day.

But not to worry, many studies have shown that Friday the 13th has little or no effect on events like accidents, hospital visits, and natural disasters. So it is probably pretty safe to say you can go about your day as normal.

While paraskevidekatriaphobia is a pretty well known superstition...here are some superstitions you might not know about.

Raijin

Raijin (the god of thunder) is feared by the children of Japan. They are taught to believe that they need to hide their stomachs during a thunderstorm because Raijin will steal their belly button!

The number 39

The people of Afghanistan try to stay clear of the number 39. It is associated with prostitution. Many people do what ever it takes to avoid this number like seen here with someone altering his license plate to rid it of the number 39.

Ok this is a strange one..

Many people believe that their is a need to ward off spirits when you move in to a new place. To do this - one would walk through each room with a loaf of bread and some salt. This assures any spirits that might already be living there that you will cause them no harm or trouble. It is also to deter any spirits from entering.

Witch Window

The people of Vermont once believed (maybe still do?) that witches couldn't fly their brooms through diagonal windows. So these diagonal windows "Witch Windows" as most know them to be called where places on many homes.

Throw dishes at my house? What??

The people of Denmark believe it will bring good fortunes to throw broken dishes (that they've collected and saved all year) at their friend's and family's house. The more they throw the more good fortune the more good fortune there is to be had.

Don't let go!

It is considered an omen of a relationships break up of you break hold while passing around a lamp post or any other object in your path. It is best to walk around it together if possible. If you do break hold even for just a moment.....you can reverse this superstition by saying,'Bread and butter' immediately after rejoining hands.

Congestione is very real....huh?

Italians believe that congestione is very real and will argue with you til day's end about it. They believe that if you go into the water after you eat. You must wait 3-4 hours or you will die! They even refuse to take showers after a meal. They believe the body will not be able to keep you warm and digest your food at the same time

Want to make your wish come true?

In Wales they believe wearing a hat made of hazel twigs and leaves will make your wishes come true, but giving a hazel twig to someone signifies rejection between lovers.

If you're going to the hospital...

According to an old wives tale, the best day to go to the hospital is on a Wednesday and to leave on a Monday. Do they even let you stay that long these days? Anyway, they also say it is not such a good idea to leave on a Saturday as it is believed that you will return soon

Don't put your purse on the floor

In Brazil it is bad luck to let your purse touch the floor if you do, you will lose money.

Chinese believe it to be disrespectful of money and wealth.

"A purse on the floor is money out the door." Chinese proverb

Demon Horses

Tikbalangs also known as "Demon Horses" According to Philippine folklore, are said to be getting married if a rain showers appears out of a clear sunny sky.

Tikbalangs like to scare, play tricks on and lead travelers astray. Often finding themselves on the same path they started out on. So if you get lost and find yourself going in circles, Tikbalangs probably had something to do with that. The only way to get back on track is to ask permission out loud to pass by. But it is probably best not to disturb them and just wear your shirt inside out before you start on your journey.

A common saying has it that rain from a clear sky means "may kinakasal na tikbalang."(Filipino, "a tikbalang is getting married".)

The Spanish have a similar proverb that believes it is a witch that is getting married on such days. Many cultures have sayings that involve trickster's getting married.

It is also believed that the tikbalang can also transform itself into human form or turn invisible to humans.

Try not to rename your ship

A superstition believed to have started with the sinking of the Lusitania and Britannia during World War I that ships with a name ending in t he letter "A" will have bad luck.

It is also considered bad luck to "rename" the ship. Seafarers believe that once you christen the ship with a name it takes on a personality of it's own.

If you must give it a new name a de-naming even must take place first. To do this you put the existing name into a wooden container and completely burn it then sprinkle the remains into the ocean