Friday the 13th Superstitions…And Why Unlucky

Here it is... Friday the 13th and everyone thinks... OH NO!  Mostly because we also have a very rare full moon along with the "unlucky" date.

So, what are the superstitions regarding Friday the 13th, and why is this day considered to be so unlucky?  After doing some research I found this...

Some say the superstition arose from Jesus’ last supper, where is it thought there were 13 people present on the night before his death – which occurred on a Friday.  Thanks to a string of events that have occurred on this day, many feel it is jinxed and pay particular care to avoid catastrophe when it comes around.

And get this... there is actually a word for people who have this extreme fear of this day...  paraskevidekatriaphobes.  I feel like add it to all the other crazy phobias that people can have.  Well, seemingly crazy, anyway.  And one person's crazy might be someone else's normal.

Throughout the years, people have been afraid of some superstitions... and generally these are at any time.  Like I know people who worry about breaking a mirror, or walking under a ladder, that type of thing.  Then add the actual Friday the 13th date, and it gets even worse.  Here is a list of some people's superstitions...

• Avoid walking under a ladder
• Touching wood
• Breaking a mirror
• Blessing someone when they've sneezed
• Crossing your fingers
• Picking up a penny
• Breaking a wishbone and making a wish
• Throwing salt over your shoulder because you spilled it
• Avoiding opening an umbrella inside
• Avoiding putting new shoes on the table
• Avoiding telling anyone your birthday wish when blowing out your candles
• Saluting a magpie
• Avoiding passing someone on the stairs
• Ensuring you have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, borrowed, something blue on yours or a friend's wedding day
• Worrying about Friday 13th approaching
• Avoiding the number 13
• Avoiding walking over three drains
• Avoiding the number 666
• Avoiding seeing the bride in their wedding dress before their wedding day
• Avoiding walking over a crack
• Avoiding eating cheese before bed
• Avoiding letting a black cat cross your path
• Having your husband carry you over the threshold of your new home
• Avoiding stepping on a grate
• Ensuring the bride (yourself or a friend) has not worn her complete wedding clothes before the day
• Avoiding lighting three cigarettes with one match
• Pushing a spoon through the bottom of an empty eggshell after finishing it
• Carrying a lucky rabbit's foot around with you
• Cutting off both ends of the loaf of bread
• Making sure you haven't left a white tablecloth on a table overnight
• Never giving gloves as a present

Personally, I think the rabbits foot thing is really gross.  I remember people having those as key chains when I was a kid.  I really didn't think too much of it...and now I just think it's completely disgusting.  Why would you carry around an animal's foot???

Do you have any superstitions?