Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday the 13th a day filled with fear
10:00 AM | Posted by
Heather |
The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia (Frigga being the name of the Norse goddess for whom "Friday" is named. It is estimated that $800 to $900 million is lost in business on Friday the 13th due to people who will not fly or conduct normal business. Friday the 13th is so crippling for some that there are counselors who have strategies to treat this condition.
Being a rather superstious person one would think that the prospect of Friday the 13th would fill me with fear, however I see it as a day to watch the world being afraid of a date on the calendar. Now that is not to say I may not be a little extra cautious on this day, but hey one can’t be too careful.
Have you ever noticed that most hospitals do not have a room 13, hotels and high rises don’t have a 13th floor? If you have 13 letters in your name it is said that you will have the devil’s luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy, and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in there names.
If you are unlucky enough to be the 13th guest at a dinner party maybe you should excuse yourself, as the superstition goes if you have 13 guests to dinner one will die within the next year.
It is estimated that some 17 to 21 million people in the United States
The fear of Friday the 13th goes back to two separate origins, the number 13 and Friday. The fear of 13 has been traced to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla , their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. There is also a biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper. As for the fear of Friday it is well known among Christians that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Some biblical scholars even believe that it was a Friday when Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. Maybe even more important is the belief that Able was slain by Cain on Friday the 13th.
So what is one to do if they are struck by this potentially crippling phobia? Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center Asheville , North Carolina
So it seems that this one is to be cured by the power of positive thinking. Focus on positive thoughts that will turn into pleasant feelings making the fear less overwhelming.
Some folklore remedies for this affliction include climbing to the top of a mountain or skyscraper and burning all the socks you own with holes in them, or standing on your head and eating a piece of gristle.
Personally I will stick with my mild fear of the day as I think my fear of heights out weighs it by quite a bit, and I just don’t want to eat gristle.
For more information check out these sites:
Heather Garcia, Promotions Manager
www.johnstonmommies.com
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1 comments:
BWA HA HA HA!
What a great article! Love all the facts. I am one of the proud that also enjoy watching everyone else get freaked out by this day.
Thanks for a great read. :)
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