Happy Friday the 13th! Or is it really a happy day?
It has been said that people today, in the year of 2023, still believe in luck and/or follow some sort of superstition. Per an article from 2023 regarding luck:
- 68% of Americans believe in some sort of luck
- 32% of American’s don’t believe in some sort of luck BUT 31% of that 32% still follow lucky superstitions just to “be on the safe side”.
Per an article from 2022 regarding superstitions:
- 9% of Americans are very superstitious
- 20% of Americans are somewhat superstitious
- 35% of Americans are not very superstitious
- 31% of Americans are not at all superstitious
- 5% of Americans were not sure
Now 29% of Americans totaling very and somewhat superstitious may not sound that high but when you take into consideration the US population is 334,233,854, 29% is 96,927,817. That’s still a lot of people!
Types of superstitions include: knocking on wood, throwing salt over the shoulder, walking under a ladder, broken mirrors, stepping on a crack, lucky pennies, lucky horseshoes, Friday the 13th, black cat crossing, killing a ladybug, 13 guests at a dinner table….etc.
But you may be asking why a blog dedicated to health would be talking about luck and superstitions? Well did you know that people who believe in superstitions, including the day of Friday the 13th, can have their mental health affected? Did you know the proper name for a fear of Friday the 13th is “paraskevidekatriaphobia“?
Per Healthline.com:
“For most people, superstitions are harmless. But there are times when superstitions can become an obstacle in your everyday life. For people with OCD, superstitions can manifest as fixations. People with OCD may feel unable to be dismissive of superstitious behaviors or beliefs. This can trigger obsessive thoughts or anxiety, among other OCD symptoms. This is sometimes referred to as “magical thinking” OCD.
People who have other mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder, can also be negatively impacted by superstitions.
When superstitions become a strong motivator for participating in or avoiding certain activities, it’s an indication that an underlying mental health condition may be present.”
Personally, I don’t believe in superstitions or luck of any kind and if you do some research yourself, you will find that there is no hard evidence to support superstitions being truth.
Most of these superstitions come from tales or stories long ago. Here are some interesting facts about how the number 13 became associated with bad luck or evil:
- Loki, the Norse god, was the 13th guest to arrive for a feast in Valhalla and after arriving, he persuaded another guest to murder the god, Baldur
- The 13th man at the Last Supper was Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus
- In a tarot card deck, the number 13 represents death
- Hundreds of the Knights Templar were tortured and killed on October 13, 1307
- A witches’ coven consists of 13 witches
Igor Radun of the Human Factors and Safety Behavior Group at the University of Helsinki’s Institute of Behavioral Sciences in Finland said, “No data exists, and will never exist, to confirm that the number 13 is an unlucky number. There is no reason to believe that any number would be lucky or unlucky.”
I love the number 13 as it is my actual birthday and I don’t believe I am bad luck; I was created in the image of God, after all, and He never makes any mistakes. I even own a black cat and does she cause evil or chaos in my house? Nope!
I would like to end this post listing some good things about the number 13. I don’t believe in the power of numbers or that numbers dictate how we live our lives, but let’s turn the negative energy of today into a positive energy:
- there are 13 cycles of the moon every year
- the four seasons each have 13 weeks
- a baker’s dozen consists of 13 pastries (yum!)
- Apollo 13 had a successful trip to the moon and return to Earth
- 13 is used in the Bible to depict God’s plan for His people
- the 13 colonies were the foundation of America
- the age of 13 is the age of maturity in Judaism
In conclusion, it is important to keep not only our bodies clean, but also our minds. The Bible says:
Proverbs 2:6-9: For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.
Happy Friday the 13th, everybody!
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