Today is the supposed day when bad luck runs rampant, or rather, the fear of it does. I did a little bit of research into Friday the 13th for the second (and second to last) Friday the 13th of this year and found out some interesting information regarding this day. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, 17 to 21 million people in the United States alone are affected by paraskevidekatriaphobia, a fear of Friday the 13th. This year there are three Friday the 13th's (bad luck comes in threes, so they say) also, all three are exactly 13 weeks apart. After reading some information about its social impact, I can't make up my mind whether it is a 'good' or a 'bad' day.
On one hand, the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics states that there are fewer reports of fire and theft on this day and compared to a usual Friday, there are 300 less car accidents, which is probably because people are more cautious on Friday the 13th. However, a UK study states the opposite,they found that in the region sampled, while consistently fewer people chose to drive their cars on Friday the 13th, the number of hospital admissions due to vehicular accidents was significantly higher than on "normal" Fridays. Their conclusion:
"Friday 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended."
I for one am pleased to note that this fear is not universal. Apparently, in Greece and Spain, Tuesday the 13th is a day of bad luck. In Italy, it is Friday the 17th that is unlucky. This particular cynic does not suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia but all the same, I wish you a pleasant Friday the 13th!
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