Thaindian News

New York, Aug 12 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Be very careful tomorrow as it is the dreaded ‘Friday the 13th’. According to the superstition, it is said to be a day of bad luck. So the phenomenon of ‘Friday the 13th’ would occur when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday.

In fact the day is so dreaded by one and all, that there is also a scientific term to describe the fear that is felt by some people on ‘Friday the 13th’. The fear of Friday the 13th is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia or triskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia. These technical terms were first derived to describe the phenomenon in 1911 but they gained popularity in the 1950’s.

There are many tales and myths around the dreaded day. As it is Friday is said to be an inauspicious day to start anything new and 13th is also revered as a bad number so obviously the combination of the two is bound to be evil. OJ suggests one of the theories around this phrase and he says that Jesus died on Friday and 13 people were present at the Last Supper.

Another theory by author Charles Panati states that, “Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess convened a meeting with eleven other witches, plus the devil — a gathering of thirteen — and plotted ill turns of fate for the coming week.”

No matter whatever be the origin of the phrase, but it sure is an easy day for the hospitals as there are fewer accidents on this day than the others, according to a study.