Why Is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky?
For the first time in 11 years, Friday the 13th is falling in two consecutive months. The ominous date falls on three Fridays this year: February 13; this Friday, March 13; and again on November 13. The 13th falls on Friday more often than any other day of the week.
It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do.
Some organization counsels clients on how to overcome fear of Friday the 13th (triskaidekaphobes), a phobia estimated to afflict 17 to 21 million people in the United States.
Symptoms range from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks. The latter may cause people to reshuffle schedules or miss an entire day's work.
This fear of 13 can even be seen in how societies are built. More than 80 percent of high-rise buildings lack a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
|