di marco
13-02-2009, 13:14
Once again, the dark cloud of superstition surrounding Friday the 13th is hovering above us, but honestly, is it really any worse than the average day? Despite the ancient connotation that Friday and the number 13 represent misfortune, the first written documentation of the two joining forces was a measly hundred or so years ago, making it an oddity that the superstition caught fire so quickly.
With three occurrences of this daunting and supposedly destructive date slated for 2009, fear of this superstition will only result in triple the inconvenience and anxiety. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way. Nestled underneath the talk of Friday the 13th's negative connotations are reasons to appreciate the date. Here are 13 great reasons to embrace Friday the 13th.
1) Looking for that day when your commute to work will miraculously be shortened? Friday the 13th is your calling. The fear of date-induced doom keeps many people off roads and public transportation. Studies as to whether or not this makes the roads any safer are conflicting, but regardless, you’ll get a few extra minutes of shuteye courtesy of those with paranoia.
2) The belief that the number 13 is unlucky is believed to stem from the Christian tale of the Last Supper, where Jesus ate his last meal with his twelve disciples. However, 13 possess a much more positive religious significance that extends well beyond that of Christianity. Ancient Egyptians believed in 13 stages of life, the last of which being the afterlife. Thus, 13 was a number that was embraced rather than feared. The Chinese also find luck in the number because its pronunciation in Mandarin resembles the phrase for “assured growth.”
3) Friday the 13th has brought many influential figures into this world, most notably former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Born on October 13, 1925, a Friday, Thatcher would hold the country’s highest office for 11 years. While approval ratings of her performance vary, a 2008 poll conducted by the London Daily Telegraph showed her as the most favourable prime minister in the post-World War II era. Some other notable Friday the 13th birthdays: British actress Zoë Wanamaker, Irish writer Samuel Beckett, and Americans socialites Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson.
4) If 13 is really so unlucky, then wouldn’t athletes avoid it at all costs? Several sports stars have taken the challenge of wearing the “cursed” jersey and excelled in the process. Chelsea footballer Michael Ballack, who also captains the German national team, currently wears number 13. Former American football quarterback Dan Marino, who holds or has held nearly all NFL passing records, also wore 13 on his chest. Wilt Chamberlin, the only basketball player to score 100 points in a game, did so wearing number 13.
5) Sikhism also puts a very high value on the number 13. The number translates to the word “yours” in Punjabi, and is used in reference to God. Friday the 13th is particularly important for Sikhs as Vaisakhi, the faith’s most important holiday, begins on April 13, which is a Friday every five to six years.
6) An underappreciated facet of 13 is its close association with rugby. Rules regulate that the 13 players on the field be numbered sequentially, thus the cursed number is always on the field. This Friday the 13th has a full slate of Rugby games scheduled across Britain, with Wigan, Leeds, St. Helens, Wakefield, Warrington and Hull all in action.
7) While it may be impossible to prove that Friday the 13th results in bad luck, there is substantial proof that it has resulted in heightened personal freedom. On Friday, June 13, 1930, Britain’s first nudist colony, Spielplatz, was formed in Bricket Wood, stripping naked people everywhere of their Friday the 13th gloom.
8) The 2004 Olympic opening ceremony in Athens dispels the Friday the 13th curse like nothing else. Instead of resulting in disaster, this Olympic ceremony was both a beautiful spectacle but broke new ground in uniting the world in celebration of sport. This marked the first time since the 1896 inaugural games that each country with a National Olympic Committee was in attendance. In addition, the ceremony marked the completion of the Olympic torch’s first trip around the world.
9) It’s believed that nearly 21 million people in America fear Friday the 13th. It is not farfetched to assume that number is 21 million more than in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia combined. On Friday, December 13, 2002, it was announced that each of these countries would be admitted to the European Union in May 2004, placing any notion of Friday the 13th woes on the backburner.
10) The entire world owes Friday the 13th a massive thank you for bringing us Kofi Annan, who was elected as secretary general of the United Nations on Friday, December 13, 1996. It’s hard to believe that a day could be potentially devilish when it marks the beginning of a career that would result in higher awareness for diabetes and HIV/AIDS, increased women’s rights in the Middle East, and a Nobel Prize for peacekeeping.
11) If you need physical proof that Friday the 13th can be a party, head to Bangkok for Songkran, the Thai New Year. Beginning on April 13, the event falls on a Friday the 13th every five to six years and is a soaking-wet celebration of life, religion, and all things not associated with the western connation of Friday the 13th.
12) In Italy, a fear of 13 makes playing the lottery quite difficult. The slogan for the national lottery is fare tredici, which means to make 13. If there is a day to feel your chances of winning are up, it would have to be the 13th, so why not try cashing in?
13) What’s the most practical reason to love Friday the 13th? On a day like this, you’ve got the ultimate excuse card to play if something goes wrong. Say you spill some coffee on your new white shirt or miss the train, you can always tell yourself that there was nothing you could have done, it was predestined misery. The moral- it’s Friday the 13th, give yourself a break.
http://news.uk.msn.com/in-pictures/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=14079110
With three occurrences of this daunting and supposedly destructive date slated for 2009, fear of this superstition will only result in triple the inconvenience and anxiety. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way. Nestled underneath the talk of Friday the 13th's negative connotations are reasons to appreciate the date. Here are 13 great reasons to embrace Friday the 13th.
1) Looking for that day when your commute to work will miraculously be shortened? Friday the 13th is your calling. The fear of date-induced doom keeps many people off roads and public transportation. Studies as to whether or not this makes the roads any safer are conflicting, but regardless, you’ll get a few extra minutes of shuteye courtesy of those with paranoia.
2) The belief that the number 13 is unlucky is believed to stem from the Christian tale of the Last Supper, where Jesus ate his last meal with his twelve disciples. However, 13 possess a much more positive religious significance that extends well beyond that of Christianity. Ancient Egyptians believed in 13 stages of life, the last of which being the afterlife. Thus, 13 was a number that was embraced rather than feared. The Chinese also find luck in the number because its pronunciation in Mandarin resembles the phrase for “assured growth.”
3) Friday the 13th has brought many influential figures into this world, most notably former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Born on October 13, 1925, a Friday, Thatcher would hold the country’s highest office for 11 years. While approval ratings of her performance vary, a 2008 poll conducted by the London Daily Telegraph showed her as the most favourable prime minister in the post-World War II era. Some other notable Friday the 13th birthdays: British actress Zoë Wanamaker, Irish writer Samuel Beckett, and Americans socialites Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson.
4) If 13 is really so unlucky, then wouldn’t athletes avoid it at all costs? Several sports stars have taken the challenge of wearing the “cursed” jersey and excelled in the process. Chelsea footballer Michael Ballack, who also captains the German national team, currently wears number 13. Former American football quarterback Dan Marino, who holds or has held nearly all NFL passing records, also wore 13 on his chest. Wilt Chamberlin, the only basketball player to score 100 points in a game, did so wearing number 13.
5) Sikhism also puts a very high value on the number 13. The number translates to the word “yours” in Punjabi, and is used in reference to God. Friday the 13th is particularly important for Sikhs as Vaisakhi, the faith’s most important holiday, begins on April 13, which is a Friday every five to six years.
6) An underappreciated facet of 13 is its close association with rugby. Rules regulate that the 13 players on the field be numbered sequentially, thus the cursed number is always on the field. This Friday the 13th has a full slate of Rugby games scheduled across Britain, with Wigan, Leeds, St. Helens, Wakefield, Warrington and Hull all in action.
7) While it may be impossible to prove that Friday the 13th results in bad luck, there is substantial proof that it has resulted in heightened personal freedom. On Friday, June 13, 1930, Britain’s first nudist colony, Spielplatz, was formed in Bricket Wood, stripping naked people everywhere of their Friday the 13th gloom.
8) The 2004 Olympic opening ceremony in Athens dispels the Friday the 13th curse like nothing else. Instead of resulting in disaster, this Olympic ceremony was both a beautiful spectacle but broke new ground in uniting the world in celebration of sport. This marked the first time since the 1896 inaugural games that each country with a National Olympic Committee was in attendance. In addition, the ceremony marked the completion of the Olympic torch’s first trip around the world.
9) It’s believed that nearly 21 million people in America fear Friday the 13th. It is not farfetched to assume that number is 21 million more than in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia combined. On Friday, December 13, 2002, it was announced that each of these countries would be admitted to the European Union in May 2004, placing any notion of Friday the 13th woes on the backburner.
10) The entire world owes Friday the 13th a massive thank you for bringing us Kofi Annan, who was elected as secretary general of the United Nations on Friday, December 13, 1996. It’s hard to believe that a day could be potentially devilish when it marks the beginning of a career that would result in higher awareness for diabetes and HIV/AIDS, increased women’s rights in the Middle East, and a Nobel Prize for peacekeeping.
11) If you need physical proof that Friday the 13th can be a party, head to Bangkok for Songkran, the Thai New Year. Beginning on April 13, the event falls on a Friday the 13th every five to six years and is a soaking-wet celebration of life, religion, and all things not associated with the western connation of Friday the 13th.
12) In Italy, a fear of 13 makes playing the lottery quite difficult. The slogan for the national lottery is fare tredici, which means to make 13. If there is a day to feel your chances of winning are up, it would have to be the 13th, so why not try cashing in?
13) What’s the most practical reason to love Friday the 13th? On a day like this, you’ve got the ultimate excuse card to play if something goes wrong. Say you spill some coffee on your new white shirt or miss the train, you can always tell yourself that there was nothing you could have done, it was predestined misery. The moral- it’s Friday the 13th, give yourself a break.
http://news.uk.msn.com/in-pictures/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=14079110