Preparing for Chaos

More and more people have become very superstitious. They beware of black cats. They are careful not to step on cracks. They avoid walking under ladders. They toss salt over their shoulders. But why are we superstitious? Why does the "bad luck" get so much worse for some on Friday the 13th?

"Very little is known about the origins of the day's notoriety. Some historians believe that the superstitions surrounding it arose in the late 19th century. The first documented mention of the day can be found in a biography of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who died on a Friday 13th. A 1907 book, Friday the Thirteenth, by American businessman Thomas Lawson, may have further perpetuated the superstition.

Others believe that the myth has Biblical origins. Jesus was crucified on a Friday and there were 13 guests at the Last Supper the night before his crucifixion.

Another account suggests that the day has been associated with misfortune since 1307, when on a Friday the 13th, the French king gave the orders to arrest hundreds of Knights Templar."

So it can't be determined when the first Friday the 13th was recorded as bringing forth spiritual bad luck but it is known that for centuries you have not been able to go more than 14 months without experiencing a Friday the 13th and occasionally there are up to three Friday the 13ths in a single year. You may think that if it is such a common occurrence it would not be as frightening to some, that does not help to persuade us however. 

Still, this day does not have to bring bad luck to all. Could the day possibly just be a trick of the mind, passed on for generations.

This week we will depict some of the silliest and scariest superstitions we may have been exposed to as well as some experiences of our own on this "bad luck" of a day.