FREAKY FRIDAY the 13TH

If this Friday, you feel you should have stayed in bed with the covers over your head, you’re not alone. People around the world dread a Friday the 13th (well, except for the producers of the successful movie franchise of the same name) and actually anticipate ‘bad things’ when the 13th of the month lands on a Friday. If you are one of these people who share this specific fear, you could be labeled as suffering from Paraskevidekatriaphobia or Friggatriskaidekaphobia.


American psychotherapist Dr. Donald Dossey coined the term Paraskevidekatriaphobia in the early 1990s, based on the Greek words Paraskeví (Παρασκευή) (meaning Friday), and dekatreís (δεκατρείς) (meaning thirteen), attached to phobía (φοβία) (meaning fear). He found through his research that people suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia (paraskevidekatriaphobics) can suffer from a wide range of negative reactions – mild anxiety on one end of the spectrum to severe panic attacks on the other. It is stated however, that Dr. Dossey claimed that if a person could actually pronounce paraskevidekatriaphobia, they would be cured.

The related term, Triskaidekaphobia coined in the early 1900s (from Greek tris meaning three, kai meaning and, deka meaning ten) is a broad-stroked fear of the number 13 in general. Triskaidekaphobics would never stay on the 13th floor of a hotel (unless it’s called the 14th floor, which most often, it is). Friggatriskaidekaphobia is a variation of triskaidekaphobia. Frigga refers to the ancient Scandinavian goddess associated with witchcraft and Friday as the Sabbath for witches. Hmmm, sounds like a possible bad day all around the board for IKEA!


The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, based in Asheville, North Carolina, has released staggering figures…an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the U.S. alone, are freaked out by Friday the 13th. Some people truly suffer extremely on a Friday the 13th…to the point that they will absolutely throw their normal routines out the window when it comes to traveling, working and even getting up in the morning. And if you think that doesn’t affect you, it’s been estimated that almost a BILLION DOLLARS in business losses occur due to wide-spread fear of Friday the 13th!


So for those who need to plan out upcoming Fridays that are the 13th of the month, here are some tips: Any month that begins on a Sunday, will contain a Friday the 13th and every year has at least one occurrence and at most, three of the dreaded days. The longest period of time that can fly by without the 13th landing on a Friday is 14 months. This will actually be the case from July 2012 through September 2013…but considering the escalating fears about the year 2012 (remember Y2K anyone?), that may be of relatively small reassurance.


On the flip side, for events purposely planned for a Friday the 13th like the release of the horror film Resident Evil 5 (in the U.S. and U.K.), the Red Nose Day for Comic Relief (U.K.) and the annual ride for thousands of bikers into Port Dover Ontario, Canada, it's viewed as a pretty good day.


As for me, Friday the 13th is always a very happy day since my Mom always claimed it was lucky for her...and from what I witnessed, it was! Thus, the power of suggestion and intention! I hope this Friday the 13th proves to be a happy and lucky day for you too and, in case you didn't think of it already... you can improve your likelihood for a fabulous day by absorbing something fascinating and positive at HealthyLife.net!