Misplaced fears? Superstitions? Did you start Friday, today, with a prayer, asking the universe to keep all problems at bay? Well, you are not alone. Many people in the West believe that the 13th day of a month falling on a Friday is a bad omen. And every time a month begins on Sunday, the 13th day will always be Friday. There is only one such month in the Gregorian calendar — August.

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Where does this fear come from?

Considering Friday the 13th as unlucky dates back for hundreds of years. The tradition is said to find its origin in the Middle Ages or even Biblical times. Some people theorize this superstition to be associated with Jesus’ Last Supper, where there were 13 people present – which led to his death.

Former college professor, industrial physicist, Charles Panati, in his book “Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things,” traces the concept of the cursed back to Norse mythology. He says the day is associated with when Loki, the god of mischief, gate-crashed a banquet in Valhalla, bringing the number of gods in attendance to 13. The blind god Hodr, deceived by Loki,  was tricked into shooting and killing his brother Balder, the god of light, joy and goodness.

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Some people believe that multitudes of Knights Templar were captured and tortured in France in 1307 on Friday, October 13. Geoffrey Chaucer, in his Canterbury Tales, referred to the unlucky day, saying that starting a journey or a project on a Friday is bad luck.

The number 13 is also often associated with witchcraft, as it is deemed the number of witches you need to form a coven.

French King Philip IV would torture victims on Friday the 13th. Likewise, in Britain, many public hangings took place on this day.

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Paraskevidekatriaphobia:

The word “paraskevidekatriaphobia” was devised by Dr. Donald Dossey who told his patients that “when you learn to pronounce it, you’re cured!”

It is a fear of Friday the 13. A part of a larger category of phobias, which is the fear of the number 13, paraskevidekatriaphobia is caused due to the negative associations with Friday and the number 13 in many religions and cultures.