A fear of Friday 13th, officially known as the tongue twisting ‘paraskevidekatriaphobia’, can leave some battening down the hatches until the calendar clicks over to the 14th.
The film franchise of the same name, featuring nerve-jangling masked character Jason, has done nothing to ease people’s phobias – and today’s ominous date, which falls just two weeks before Halloween, has seen social media awash with anxious posts.
The superstitious can breathe out a little at midnight, there are just two Friday 13ths this year and the first was back in January.
Why did the Western world start fearing any 13th in the calendar that fell on a Friday?
The date’s unlucky associations are rooted in Norse mythology and the belief that the 13th person – Loki – seated at a table of the gods ruined the celestial meeting and plunged the world into darkness.
October 13th 2023 marks the year’s last Friday 13th – there was also one back in January. The day traditionally associated with bad luck by the superstitious is actually a lucky day for many, as social media posts announcing happy things that have happened on it proves
However, for some people, the number 13 has only lucky associations, with people sharing today that they met the loves of their lives on Friday 13th, or enjoyed a windfall.
One nature enthusiast posted beautiful images of the Northern Lights lighting up the night sky in Manitoba, Canada just after midnight this morning.
He wrote: ‘Some say #Fridaythe13th is believed to be an unlucky day, but not for me. I am one happy & lucky guy here watching the #auroraborealis danced tonight.’
Love was in the air for this Twitter user, who wrote: ‘Friday 13th – I met my husband on Friday 13th – a lucky day for me.’
Another reminisced: ‘Met a girl for our 1st date on a Friday 13th. We got married on a Friday 13th. Married almost 20years now. 2 kids. All the worldly c*** aside I’m a very happy man! ‘
One person on Twitter has such faith in the number that they were banking on a big win, writing: ‘Friday the 13th, my favorite day, my lucky number! I’m buying a lottery ticket today.’
Another fan reported that a visit to the dentist saw them leave unscathed, as they penned: ‘Just came out the dentist and zero work to be done… so now to celebrate with some jelly beans. #Friday13th. lucky for some maybe.’
One birthday girl had no choice but to embrace the date, writing: ‘As someone who was born on a Friday the 13th, today will be my lucky day.’
Another fan of the date wrote: ‘Unlucky for some BUT weirdly (not surprisingly), 13 seems to be lucky for me and has been throughout my life. Happy Friday the 13th everyone.’
Knock it off: The highest and lowest valuations of property by door number, according to Rightmove
A survey released this week revealed that homes numbered 13 have the lowest average value out of every door number from one to a 100.
Properties with the number 13 on their door have average values of £354,793, which is around £5,000 less than the average of 10million homes analysed numbered one to 100.
By contrast, properties with number one on their front door have the highest average value, coming it at £393,690, which is £40,000, or around 11 per cent more than number 13s, according to Rightmove.
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