FACTS
| Scientific terms
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13 and triskaidekamania is an excessive enthusiasm for the number 13.
Widely-held belief
Friday 13th is an unlucky day in much of Western Europe, North America and Australia. Many people avoid travel and avoid signing contracts on Friday 13th.
Floors in tall buildings often skip from 12 to 14.
While the superstition is believed to be fading, it nonetheless has deep roots in both Christian and pagan culture.
The Day Jesus Was Crucified?
Many Christians have long believed that Friday was unlucky because it was the day of the week Jesus was crucified.
The number 13 was believed to bring bad luck because there were 13 people at The Last Supper.
Roots in Norse Mythology
Thirteen was a sinister number in Norse mythology. Loki, one of the most evil of the Norse gods, was the uninvited 13th guest at a party at Valhalla, a banquet hall of the gods. As a result, he caused the death of Balder, the god of light, joy, and reconciliation.
Literature and folk wisdom
During the Middle Ages, the superstition of Friday 13th grew. Over time a large body of literature and folk wisdom have reinforced the belief.
In the 18th century, the HMS Friday was launched on Friday 13th. It was never heard from again. Now ships are not usually launched on that date.
Dinner with 13
It is considered unlucky to have 13 people at the table during a meal, such as in Agatha Christie's mystery novel, Thirteen at Dinner.
During the 1880s, a mens' group that felt superstition was an unhealthy influence on public life held Thirteen Club dinners, always with 13 guests.
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 |  | Are you superstitious?
It was Friday 13 September 2002 at 8.20am when local Earsldon resident Mr Elias was working in his house.
He heard a commotion outside and so looked out of the window. He saw bin-men jumping out of a bin lorry as smoke poured out of the vehicle.
Mr Elias took his domestic fire extinguisher from inside his house and sprayed it on the fire in an attempt to calm the flames.
The bin-men told him to get back from the fire, so he went into the house and watched as the lorry became engulfed in flames.
This is when his daughter, Nancy, took the picture of the fire (above).
Fire Officer Paul Sadler of Canley Fire station said the lorry fire was probably caused by an electrical fault.
The firemen put the blaze out very quickly.
听No-one was injured in the fire. Mr Elias said it was lucky the fire was in the middle of the junction and was at a reasonably quiet time of day in the area.
听World's unluckiest church?
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On Friday, 13 December 2002, a day considered by many to be less than auspicious, News Online unearthed the story of what could turn out to be the world's unluckiest church.
University of Warwick archaeologist Dr Stephen Hill discovered the remains of a 4th Century church when he was called to look at a dig on Turkey's Black Sea coast.
Follow the link on the left to read this story in full.
听So maybe there's some truth in the superstition of Friday 13th after all!
Read the Friday the 13th facts to the left and make up your own mind.
听Click the images button below to see a larger picture of the blazing scene.
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