Friday, July 13, 2007

Paraskavedekatriaphobia

When I was growing up, I thought "triskaidekaphobia" was the fear of Friday the 13th. I was wrong, of course, as triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13. Paraskavedekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the thirteenth.

Twelve is considered to be a lucky number, a very lucky number. For the religious-minded, think of the twelve apostles. For those who are JRR Tolkien fans, when Bilbo Baggins is selected to accompany the dwarves on their journey, it is explained that the dwarves want him along not only because he is to be their "burglar" but also because there are thirteen dwarves, an unlucky number. Oh, I thought it had something to do with twelve. Well, anyway, Tolkien was more into the number 15 than twelve.

So today is Friday the 13th, and although I don't really believe that today will be less lucky than any other day, I do think about luck.

Have you noticed that some people seem to be luckier than others? But is this luck something real, or is it just some statistical function – there are always "outliers", and rare things happen. So perhaps outliers explain the lucky ones.

Don't ask me how, but guess who hit the big time
Don't look now but guess whose back in town
It's so easy don't even have to try
Your the winner you can take the prize
It's a dream come true which one will it be
It's a dream come true we'll just wait and see
Only the lucky one's get to steal the show
Only the lucky one's really get to know
Only the lucky, Only the lucky one's get Lucky


I think it is sort of sad that I remember Loverboy songs.

Well, I am a tad schizo today. Perhaps I should put "Working for the Weekend" on today.

6 comments:

Ian Lidster said...

I don't get too excited about superstitions. Added to which, they're gegraphically variable. Here it is bad luck to have a black cat cross your path -- in England the same thing is good luck. Go figure.
Ian

Southern (in)Sanity said...

Wow. Is it sad that I recognized the song after reading the first line?

Some people are definitely more lucky than others. I resigned myself to that fact a long time ago.

But, I'm not much on superstitions and Friday the 13th - although it's raining here and work has been a pain.

QUASAR9 said...

Yeah Leesa, I could never quite understand this one, I was brought up with Tuesday and thirteen

That's right "Martes y 13"
is supposed to be the day in Spain, when if anything can go wrong - it will

But hey, I used to think life was great when I was thirteen
though the number 13 was banned in Grand Prix racing at the time!

Deb said...

Hmm, have you ever noticed that the numbers 13 and 56 come up in the lotto numbers?

Weird.


Have a great weekend Leesa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Deb said...

I remember that song and that group so well.

Leesa said...

ian: yeah, some people's phobia is someone else's love.

rwa: yeah, it is sad that you recognized the song after one line.

quasar: I did not know the number 13 was banned on the grand prix.

~deb: you numerologist, you. 13 and 56 make 69, a very pleasant number.

dr ~deb: I think we are contemperaries.