Last of the Three Friday the 13ths for 2012
Another Friday the 13th is almost here! Did you know that in 2012, there are THREE Friday the 13ths? The first one was in January,?one was in April and the last one strikes in July. In fact, each of those dates are 13 weeks apart.
The following information is taken from the Psychic Library Superstition Room.
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There is a term for a fear of the number 13 ? triskaidekaphobia, of Greek origin. The term for a fear of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia. Across many cultures, the belief that the number 13 is evil and brings bad luck is so strong that many hotels, office and apartment buildings do not have or recognize a 13th floor, airports usually do not have a 13th gate and many people stay home on Friday the 13th.
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The Chinese and ancient Egyptians believed the number 13 brings good fortune. The Egyptians believed in 12 stages in life toward spiritual enlightenment. The 13th stage was the eternal afterlife. In this sense, death was not a place of fear, but a place of high regard for the afterlife.
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One theory about why this negative belief about the number 13 exists is that Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th person to be seated at the Last Supper.
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In 1881, a group of New Yorkers set out to debunk this and all other superstitions and formed a group called the Thirteen Club. Its first meeting took place on Friday the 13th at 8:13 pm and 13 people sat down to dinner in room number 13. To get into the room each guest walked under a ladder and sat down around piles of spilled salt. Needless to say, all of the guests survived. For the next 40 years, Thirteen Clubs cropped all over the U.S., but then faded from popularity.
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It is believed that because some people do not fly, invest or even leave the house on Friday the 13th, there is a notable loss in business transactions.
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To find out about other superstitions, visit the Superstition Room.
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Spilt Salt Superstition
This could be the answer to a?meal gone bad. Though the spilling of salt superstition has a long history, Passover/Easter may be its origin.
Historically,? it has been believed that spilling salt will bring a person bad luck. More so than bringing bad luck, it is an invitation to let the devil in.? Origins of this superstition may date back to ancient times, as salt was used in early rituals and practices.? In many cultures it was believed to be a powerful magical substance.
At one time salt was a very expensive trading commodity, and spilling it was considered wasteful and frowned upon. This could have brought fear to the person who spilled it. Also, there is a connection that spilled salt is unlucky because Judas is portrayed as the one spilling the salt in DaVinci?s painting of the “Last Supper.”
There is yet another Christian belief ascribed to this superstition. It is believed that good spirits exist on the right-hand side and that the devil is seated at the left-hand side of God. So, when we spill salt, it is important to throw the salt with our right hand over our left shoulder to keep the devil, evil and bad luck off of our backs and behind us.To find out about other superstitions, visit the Superstition Room.
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