Friday the 13th, 2015
Friday the 13th is almost here! Did you know that in 2015, there are three Friday the 13ths?
The following information is taken from the Psychic Library Superstition Room.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To find out about other superstitions, visit the Superstition Room.
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Friday the 13th, 2014
Friday the 13th is almost here! Did you know that in 2014, there is only one Friday the 13th?
The following information is taken from the Psychic Library Superstition Room.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To find out about other superstitions, visit the Superstition Room.
Read More »
Seeing a Hearse Go By
The hearse is a most notorious icon of death and mourning. Numerous superstitions, gestures and beliefs are connected to this vehicle. Just the mere sight of a hearse can stir up many emotions about our own mortality.
Since the time of horse drawn hearses, a common belief was that if you saw a hearse, you would be the next to die. To avoid such a horrible curse, in Victorian times, it was believed that holding a button could ward off this demise. Others held a button until they saw a bird. Some people would go as far as to hold their breath, close their eyes and put their feet up in the air.
Another old belief is that a hearse drawn by two horses (especially white ones) signified a death would happen in the neighborhood in the very near future.
One of the more interesting traditions about hearses passing by is taken from Japanese culture. Hiding one?s thumb in a fist while the hearse passed was done to protect the parents from an early death. (The thumb is a representation of the ?parent? finger, called ”oya yubi” in Japanese.)
Another superstition is based on which direction you see the hearse moving. If the hearse is moving toward you and empty, it is considered good luck in some parts of the United States. In other areas of the U.S., it could bring on three days of good or bad luck. On the other hand, if a hearse is empty and moving away from you, you are close to death.
Some people believe that if they see their reflection in the window of a hearse, it is a bad sign. No matter what, a hearse is the sign of imminent death. Most people have some type of superstitions about seeing one, and most of us will be unable to avoid being the passenger in one way or another. And by the way, you don?t ever want to be the first person to drive a brand new hearse ? it is definitely bad luck.
To find out about other superstitions,
visit the Superstition Room.
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Four-Leaf Clover Superstition
The four-leaf clover, or shamrock, is thought of as a good luck charm in part because of its rarity in nature. It is estimated that the chances of finding a four-leaf clover are one in 10,000. The origin of the superstition dates back as far as the biblical story of Adam and Eve. It is believed that when Eve was cast out of the Garden of Eden, she took a four-leaf clover with her to remind her of the lushness of paradise. Since then, it has become a symbol of good luck and good fortune.
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According to Irish beliefs, the superstition stems from Druid priests who used the shamrock for healing the sick, in worship rituals and to ward off evil. Prior to this, St. Patrick had found the three-leaf clover to be an extraordinary plant. In ancient Egypt, when a couple got married it was traditional to give them a four-leaf clover which was a blessing of their union and a representation of their undying love for one another.
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Some of the beliefs surrounding the power of the four-leaf clover include the following:
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1. Each of the four leaves on this lucky charm has a specific meaning ? faith, hope, love and luck.
2. Both children and adults would hang the four-leaf clover at home to ward off evil, witchcraft and bad omens.
3. A person who finds a four-leaf clover will meet a future lover on that same day. Some people even go so far as to put the four-leaf clover in their shoe.
4. Anyone who possesses a four-leaf clover will have good fortune in any ventures they attempt.
5. The four-leaf clover is a charm that protects against evil.
6. Anyone wearing a four-leaf clover will be able to see fairies.
7. One belief states that you will only have good luck if the four-leaf clover is kept out of sight and never passed to someone else. Another one states that if your give the four-leaf clover to someone else, your luck will double.
So, always be on the lookout for a four-leaf clover because you can never have enough good luck!
To find out about other superstitions, visit the Superstition Room.
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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.
?
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.
?
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.
?
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.
?
Read More »
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