Happy Friday the 13th!

Are you suffering from Friggatriskaidekaphobia?

The only bit of this that I could read was the phobia part at the end! I can't pronounce it, let alone spell it! But it's easy really, it is simply the fear of Friday 13! And as superstitions go, according to Tom Fernsler who is a mathematician and expert in the field of number thirteen at the University of Delaware, it is number one in America (where else really?) with approximately 17 million people believing that something really bad is going to happen to you on that day. Apart from Friday being a bad day, add the fear of number thirteen to it and there is a recipe for disaster!

Interestingly, this is the third Friday 13 this year, which is the most that can occur in a single calendar year. And for the first time since 1984, January 13, April 13 and July 13 were exactly thirteen weeks apart! That will give all the triskaidekaphobics (fear of the number thirteen) something to think about!

Now, I am not at all superstitious of either Fridays or the number thirteen. I always loved Fridays when I was teaching as it heralded in the weekend, and my mum always maintained that thirteen was her lucky number. Our house was number 213, and there were thirteen days between her and my dad's birthday. However, I never walk under ladders for fear of something falling on me, like the man on the ladder, and I would never, ever push my luck by flying on Friday 13. That is simply my phobia of flying, not my phobia of days and dates! But if I had to, I would cross my fingers and touch wood, and find a lucky rabbit's foot to carry in my pocket. (I wonder how the rabbits view that idea?)

My lucky black cat!

But, I have a black cat around who wards off evil spirits and keeps me safe. Or is it bad luck to have a black cat cross your path?

Superstitious? No, not me!