The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia (Frigga being the name of the Norse goddess for whom “Friday” is named and triskaidekaphobia meaning fear of the number thirteen).

I’ve always believed the story that Friday the 13th is only unlucky if you happen to be a medieval Templar:  that the superstition dates back to the slaughter of said Templars on a Friday the 13th in the Middle Ages.

I’ve always wondered why people took it so hard, since the Templars were total bastards and getting rid of them was probably the best move the papacy ever made.  But a brief foray into Wikipedia tells me that, in fact, this superstition is even sillier than that: evidently the whole thing comes from some popular novel in 1907.

Also, in Spanish-speaking countries, evidently Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky. In the interest of multiculturalism, I vote we all change our superstitious loyalties to Tuesdays.

Oh the other hand, I must also post here a hilarious quote that I stole from my sister-in-law’s facebook page:

Me: tomorrow is Friday the 13th
Jaden: that is the bad luck day
Me: what is your bad luck going to be?
Jaden: umm…I trip somebody but we both get hurt so it’s fair.

I love the planning, here.  Way to take control!  Also the fairness.  That’s my niece in a nutshell, people!