Celebrate Friday the 13th

Only around 10 percent of modern day Americans believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, yet it is still a well recognized superstition, causing people to joke about it and be perhaps a little more cautious than usual.[1] Friday the thirteenth falls between one and three times a year,[2] providing you with a good excuse for celebrating it in a fun way and perhaps, even for facing your fears about it should you have any and that's a fact.

Whether or not you think it's an unlucky day, or an unlucky number, celebrating the day might be a way to throw less negative light on it and serve as some reassurance for you.

Steps

  1. Educate yourself about Friday the 13th, especially if the day concerns you and fills you with trepidation. Knowledge is the way to enlightenment and understanding the origins of Friday the 13th can help settle any concerns you might have.
    • Read about its history. It is important to remember that nobody is really sure as to the origins of the superstition although it does appear to be a combination of two superstitions - a fear of the number 13 and a fear of Fridays. Wikipedia offers a concise write-up that reveals the superstition of Friday the 13th didn't arise until the 19th century.[3] Snopes explains the obscure origins in some detail too.[4] Although Friday the 13th can be scary sometimes, it is equally important to remember is that Friday the 13th is just – a superstition.
    • Although it is claimed that there are fewer car accidents on Friday the 13th, perhaps on the assumption that some people don't even get out of bed, the proof for reduced accidents is very sketchy.[4] There is also no evidence that one gender has more accidents than another on Friday the 13th.[5]
  2. Take your usual level of care when going about your daily activities. Avoid turning a superstition into a self-fulfilling prophecy by thinking yourself into accidents. Psychologist Richard Wiseman warns against buying into the superstition and "creating your own bad luck".[6] It's a day like any other day and it's important to exercise all normal precautions when driving, crossing the road, using sharp objects, etc. And it's also important not to make the day out to be what it isn't.
    • Avoid linking circumstantial evidence to try to "prove" that bad things happen on Friday the 13th (also known as confirmation bias). Making lists of accidents and bad events that happen on Friday the 13th is a skewed way of upholding a preconceived notion of how the superstition should pan out. You'll find what you want to believe (self-validating) but equally, if you sat down and did the same for any day of the year, you'll also find the same level of accidents and bad events!
  3. Plan a Friday the 13th party. This can be a good excuse to throw a fun party and bring out all those superstitions for a fun purpose.
    • Plan your party.
    • Draw your inspiration from the eeriness of Halloween for decorative ideas and draw on other superstitious elements. For example, display decorations such as black cats, paper ladders, and the number 13.
    • Use lanterns or candles to light the party.
    • Have great nibbles, food, and drinks to keep everyone in the mood for a good party. For great ideas on party snacks, check out wikiHow's Party Snacks.
    • Play spooky music (your Halloween CDs get double use!).
    • Dress up in costumes. The more mysterious, the better.
  4. Liven up your Friday the 13th party with some excellent games.
    • Play Truth or Dare. This is a party classic that's often worth adding. (See also how to play Extreme Truth or Dare for extra thrills!)
    • Play "I would have saved/killed". It's very simple - every person in the game must choose a character from a horror movie and explain who they would have saved or killed, and why. Award prizes for the best explanations if wished, or just play for the sake of inspiring good stories.
    • Play Play Stress and Confess.
    • See wikiHow's Games for lots more ideas.
  5. Watch Friday the 13th and other horror films. It is inevitable that this film will come up, so make sure you have it available for playing! Not everyone will want to huddle around horror, but for those who get right into the spirit of the occasion, this could be a fun excuse to cuddle up, scream, and share around sugar-laden nibbles. Some ideas to help with the movie-watching include:
  6. Seek help for a fear of Friday the 13th. If you're afraid of Friday the 13th, you've got a condition or phobia known as paraskevidekatriaphobia.[7] It is estimated that 17 to 21 million people in the United States suffer from this phobia.[2] In addition, it is estimated that US$800 to $900 million dollars is lost in the United States on Friday the 13th because a substantial group of people refuse to fly or carry on with business as usual.[2] Henry Ford is one well-known person who refused to do business on Friday the 13th.[8] While this a real phobia, it is likely to have a basis in a ready belief in superstitions associated with bad luck and it is something that you can have treated provided you're willing. And if it is hampering your life and ability to get on with things, it's not a helpful phobia.
    • See a counselor to work through your phobia. Ask your doctor for a referral if you're not sure whom to contact.
    • If you are suffering from panic attacks or anxiety, seek professional help immediately.
    • Read Deal With Paraskevidekatriaphobia for more help.

Tips

  • Send your friends Friday the 13th e-cards. Search for these online. Some of them are spooky, some funny, and some just recognize that it's another good excuse to say hello to a friend on a Friday!
  • Did you know that any month's 13th day will fall on a Friday if the month starts on a Sunday? And did you know that the 13th falls on Friday more than any other day of the week?[2]
  • For those who fear bad luck on Friday 13th, you'll need to be living somewhere that sees it as an unlucky and unfortunate day, such as the English-speaking cultures, or Germany.[9] In some cultures, this date means nothing at all, and for others, the day of unluckiness shifts, such as to Friday 17th for Italians. Friday the 13th is seen as a lucky day In France and many play the lottery on this day.

Warnings

  • Avoid scaring people who are clearly worried about the day; there's no fun in teasing people easily wound up and everyone will end up feeling out of sorts.
  • It is not a good idea to use this day as an excuse to call work or school pretending to be sick so you don't have to leave the house, unless you really are ill.
  • Don't think you're doomed if you break a mirror, walk under a ladder, see a black cat, etc. Remember, it's all just a bit of a fun.

Things You'll Need

  • Party supplies, food, costumes, decorations, music for a Friday the 13th party
  • DVD player and movies
  • Internet/library for research

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ The Skeptic's Dictionary, Paraskevidekatriaphobia, http://www.skepdic.com/paraskevidekatriaphobia.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 National Geographic News, Friday the 13th Strikes Again -- Two Months in a Row, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090312-friday-13th.html
  3. ↑ Wikipedia, Friday the 13th, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Snopes, Friday the 13th, http://www.snopes.com/luck/friday13.asp
  5. ↑ Radun, I. and Summala, H., BMC Public Health, November 16, 2004
  6. ↑ BBC News, Friday 13th - Unlucky for Some, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2987934.stm
  7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
  8. ↑ Paul Hoffman, Who's Afraid of Friday the 13th?, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101715052
  9. ↑ Wisegeek, What is Friday the 13th?, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-friday-the-13th.htm

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