Although this posting is on Friday the thirteenth, fear not! When our Journey with Needle Art is held in Philadelphia in August 2012, there will be no Friday or Tuesday the thirteenth.
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of 13, a number commonly associated with bad luck in Western culture. While fear of the number 13 can be traced back to medieval times, the word triskaidekaphobia itself is of recent vintage.
Fear of the number 13 also leads to fear of Friday the thirteenth (a fear recently dubbed paraskevidekatriaphobia), despite the fact that Friday turns out to be the most common weekday on which the 13th of a month can occur in the Gregorian calendar. This superstion dates back to Chaucer's early writing about misfortune falling on that unlucky Friday.
Growing up in Miami, I blithely went about life aware of some people's fear of Friday the thirteenth. Many of my professional years were spent in little Habana, a section of Miami where many Cubans and other Hispanics populated. I was a bit surprised one day, when the school secretary told me to ten cuidado (be careful) of mal Martes (bad Tuesday). What is bad Tuesday? If it wasn't difficult enough to worry about Friday the thirteenth, now I was supposed to worry about Tuesday the thirteenth.
In cultures of Spain, Greece, and the countries of Latin America on Tuesday,13 is considered an unlucky day. There is a Spanish saying regarding this date, which reads in 13 and Tuesday, neither get married nor you embark, considering that both, a wedding or a trip, ended badly when started on Tuesday and 13.
May today and each day bring you good luck and wonderful stitching. We are expecting nothing but wonderful times and fun experiences in Philadelphia during the August 3 - 31 Journey with Needle Art. No Tuesdays or Fridays the thirteenth will spoil our Journey!
REFERENCES:
- Adams, C. "Why Is the Number 13 ConsideredUnlucky?" The Straight Dope. http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_080.html.
- Bowen, J. "Friday the 13th." Salon Mag. 13Aug 1999.
- Emery, D. "Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky." http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th_p.htm.
- Ferm, V. ABrief Dictionary of American Superstitions. New York: PhilosophicalLibrary, 1965.
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