Those who purport to know about these things (from a magazine called ‘Mental
Floss’), inform us that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden
on a Friday, Noah’s flood started on a Friday, and Christ was crucified on a
Friday. In early America, it was noted that twelve witches plus one devil
were present at Satanic ceremonies, so Friday and 13 make a deadly
combination.
The number 13 is a place where numbers reach a new level when it comes to
common items. There are 12 months in a year, 12 inches in a foot, 12 items
in a dozen, 12 signs of the zodiac, and when we learn our multiplication
tables in school, they go all the way up to 12 times 12.
The modern-day fear of 13 is based on Norse mythology. According to the
saga, 12 gods were dining at Valhalla when a 13th guest named Loki joined
the party. Loki ended up causing the death of Balder, the Norse god of light
and joy. From that day forward (the legend goes) the number 13 has been
unlucky.
In places WITHOUT influence of Norse/European mythology (think China and
much of Asia), the date is considered fortunate. And in Australia, lottery
agents report a brisk business every Friday the 13th, selling 50 percent
more tickets than an average Friday on those days.
The spookiest person born on Friday the 13th has to be Alfred Hitchcock. He
was born on Friday, August 13, 1899. The Master of Suspense died back in
1980, but had he lived to be 100, Hitchcock would have hit the century mark
in August of 1999, again on Friday the 13th.
An ABC News report about the impact of Friday the 13th records that
businesses lose nearly one billion dollars every Friday the 13th, owing to
everything from people who stay home from work to those who won’t travel on
the unlucky day. Some of this loss is due to lower volume on the stock
market, but investors shouldn’t be frightened of Friday the 13th. A study
looking at stock prices over the last 50 years proved that the Dow performs
better on Friday the 13th than on other Fridays.
Bell Labs reports that at 11:31:30pm UTC (6:31 30 seconds pm Eastern Time)
on Friday, Feb 13, 2009, Unix time will reach 1,234,567,890. Now if there
was any reason to fear Friday the 13th, I think this is it. It may signify
the end of the sequence of time or that the prophecies of Revelation are
upon us.
Short Friday the 13th Quiz:
What’s the maximum number of Friday the 13ths that can occur in a calendar
year?
What is the minimum number?
How many months in 2009 will we have a Friday the 13th
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
“Jesus knows me, this I love”