Superstitions, Bad Luck and Friday the 13th

Today is one of those days that some people still dread. Many claim the number 13 has brought them bad luck. And when it is combined with a Friday--they just will not take chances.

Triskaidekaphobia is a fear of the number 13. It is said on Friday the 13^th the bad luck this number brings is tripled.

Superstitions are based in the belief that something terrible will happen if they are not observed or followed. Unfortunately, some in history proved to be harmful. But most were not.

Today most are no longer believed.

Here are just a few superstitions that were passed down from one generation to the next.

Did you know?

If you go to bed on one side of the bed and get up on the other side, it is considered bad luck. Through history many have taken this belief seriously--it is where the phrase: “He or she got up on the wrong side of the bed” came from.

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Superstitions like black cats crossing your path, breaking mirrors, walking under ladders, and opening an umbrella inside a building all bring bad luck. This last superstition is useful for it is challenging to get an opened umbrella through a doorway.

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You should never vow your love for another under a full moon. It dooms it. Hundreds of years ago humankind felt that the moon was erratic at best. It changes size throughout the month and completely disappears during eclipses.

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When you yawn, you must always cover your mouth. After all, this is just good manners.

But this belief actually came about because people felt the devil makes people yawn so he can enter and possess them. So people would make the sign of the cross over their mouth initially--this evolved into covering the mouth.

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On Friday the 13^th, or on any day, you should never cross a knife and fork on the dinner table. This is why many traditional place settings place the knife and fork on opposite sides of the plate. Crossing these two utensils was believed to bring bad luck in the form of difficult times ahead.

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That a gift given to a recipient should never be given outright. It should be loaned only, or a small token should be given in return, such as a nickel of penny. This was done because it was felt a gift given outright meant a severing of the bond of friendship.

This superstition has some truth to it. How many times have people loaned money and lost a friend?

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Thirteen people should never sit down and eat at the same table. This brings bad luck-- this superstition comes from the  “Last Supper.”

The Last Supper

Another superstition states if 13 people meet in one room, one of them will die before the end of the year.

Yet another superstition that involves the number 13 is one that is still practiced. Most tall buildings still do not acknowledge there is a 13^th floor.

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That you should never go out on a first date on a Friday night. Of course, today Friday is date night--but in the past, people felt a courtship was doomed if started on a Friday night.

In England, hundreds of years ago, if a young couple was seen out on a Friday night, they were serenaded with the banging of pots and pans, to shame or embarrass them into delaying their courtship until the following day. 

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It was initially believed broken mirrors brought 7 years of bad luck because they not only were a reflection of the person--they held bits of a person’s soul.

Another superstition surrounding mirrors was that it was essential to cover them, in the presence of the sick and dying. If this was not done, it was believed the patient might see death lurking in the reflection.

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Bringing a woman on board a boat or ship was considered bad luck. An old maritime superstitious belief was a female’s presence, could endanger the crew. It was even believed a female could cause everyone on board to die.

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Another maritime superstition involves the tradition that no one on board a boat could speak the name of one particular fish. It was called: The beast, the redfish, the foul fish, or merely the fish. But it was never called by its real name--salmon.