Archive: Around Town

Today is the 27th Friday the 13th since the Lansing Star began publishing.  It is widely considered to be the least lucky day of the year.  Nobody really knows why, and there is no evidence that Friday the 13th is any less lucky than other days.  And the Lansing Star is still publishing, which could be considered good or bad luck depending on your point of view.

Some people think the superstition traces back to the crucifixion of Jesus, which took place on a Friday after 13 guests attended the Last Supper.  And you know who the 13th guest was... Judas.  He certainly turned out to be unlucky for Jesus!

Fear of Friday the 13th actually has a name: friggatriskaidekaphobia.  It seems to me that one would have a greater fear of actually pronouncing 'friggatriskaidekaphobia' than of actually experiencing the day.  Evidently millions of people suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia,and it is likely that almost none of them know it is called friggatriskaidekaphobia. Some people suffer so severely that they can't even say the words 'Friday the 13th', ranging from mild anxiety to actual panic.

According to timeanddate.com the longest you can go between Friday the 13ths is 14 months.  Every year has at least one, and some lucky years have three.  All months that have a Friday the 13th begin on Sunday, which lends some credence to the crucifixion theory, no?

There have actually been studies done to test the unluckiness of Friday the 13th.  They found there is little or no correlation between the so-called unlucky day and natural disasters, hospital visits, and so on.  It may be that the unluckiest thing about Friday the 13th is the money wasted on studies.

In these difficult times of absurd and destructive politics and the threat of a pandemic, you might say today is indeed unlucky.  Except, of course, these things were part of our lives yesterday, and will still be tomorrow.  So my advice is simply carry on with life today as you normally would.  But don't walk under ladders and avoid black cats, and, above all, don't drop a mirror!

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