05/13/2022
Have a happy Friday the 13th.
It's Friday the 13th, a day that people either embrace or fear. A day that doesn't usually come around too often.
More than 60 million people worldwide claim to be affected by a fear of Friday 13th. Some of them won’t go to work, drive cars or get out of bed on this day. Many hospitals have no room 13, while airports don't have a Gate 13 and a lot of hotels don't have a floor 13. The official word for the fear of Friday 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia.
The belief that Friday 13th is bad luck may have sprang from Norse legend when on Friday, 12 Gods were joined by a 13th God, Loki who was a cruel one, he brought upon humans great misfortune. Loki crashed a party at Valhalla disguised as an old hag and took advantage of the Norse virtue of hospitality and to never turn away a needy guest. The Gods allowed him in and fed him thinking he was a nomad soul passing through. Valhalla was the banquet hall of the Gods. The Gods where enjoying a great feast were Balder, who was Odin's son was letting people throw spears at him to show his strength and courage. There were 12 guests present at the hall, they were the greatest of the Norse Gods, until Loki arrived. Loki the trickster Norse God was the 13th guest, the affair turned grim when Balder the beloved son of Odin, the God of light, joy, and reconciliation was killed when Loki tricked Balder's sightless brother Hod into throwing a spear of mistletoe at him. Mistletoe was the only thing on earth that could kill Balder. By doing this Loki brought about the promise of Ragnarök which in Norse mythology will be doomsday, when Odin will get revenge on Loki. There will be a great battle between the Gods, this will bring about the end of the world ushering in a new dawn where Balder will be resurrected and rule in place of Odin.
On Friday 13th in the year 1307 thousands of soldier monks of the powerful Knights Templar were massacred by French king Louis IV it is said that blood ran through the streets like a river. Many people believe this is where our fear of the date springs from. The Pope of the church in Rome in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant Against "the Knights Templar". The Templar's were terminated as heretics, never again to hold the power that they had held for so long. The Grand Master Jacques DeMolay was arrested and before he was killed, he was tortured and crucified, this was carried out on Friday 13th and there were 13 High Templar's which ruled the Knights Templar.
In Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesdays dated the 13th not Fridays are considered unlucky. In Italian culture, Friday the 17th is considered unlucky.
The number 13 appears many times on the U.S. $1 bill there are 13 stars, 13 stripes, 13 steps, 13 arrows and even has an olive branch with 13 leaves on it. Also there were 13 colonies in British North America. There are 13 stars and stripes on the original American flag.
From a religious standpoint, Muslims tout Friday as the day Allah created Adam, legend has it that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, the apple on a Friday and later died on a Friday and Christians consider Friday as the day on which Christ was crucified by the Romans. Also the number 13 in the Christian faith is the number of guests at the Last Supper with the 13th guest at the table being the traitor Judas. When Christians combine this day and number the combination can only hold special significance. In Judaism The Bar Mitzva is held at age 13 on a Friday the Jewish Sabbath day. The Bible also lists 13 attributes of God.
There are also 13 Witches to a Coven. Which is true for many traditional Covens.
