|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 2:56 pm
I read a very interesting article about "paraskevidekatriaphobia," the fear of the number 13. It came out last Friday, the 13th, and it mentioned A Series Of Unfortunate Events in it. I also thought it pertained to the series since 13 is thought to be very unlucky, it's an irrational fear, and the books came out on the 13th of the month in the past...
"If you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia, chances are you probably aren't reading this story. You're probably in bed with the covers pulled over your head and will remain indoors (careful about your every move) until tomorrow. People afflicted with paraskevidekatriaphobia, the morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th- might also suffer from triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13.
Today is not their day. Check the calender.
But for most of us, the number 13 of Firday the 13th doesn't pose any danger or necessarily signal calamity. Thirteen can be a good thing. A baker's dozen (13) is a little something extra; lace is the traditional gift for the 13th wedding anniversary. Thirteen can be a perfectly benign thing: the atomic number of aluminum or the number of cards in each of four suits that comprises a deck. It can be a source of pride; Alex Rodriguez wears No. 13 for the Yankees.
Still, 13 has odd, even frightening connotations for the supersticious: Judas was the 13th guest at the Last Supper; the car carrying Princess Diana on the night she was killed in Paris hit pillar 13 in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel; Jack the Ripper has 13 letters in his name.
Maybe we should be under the covers too. But those of you who are at work today at least aren't contributing to the estimated 1 billion dollars a year lost to workplace abstenteeism as well as plane cancellations because of Friday the 13th.
13 shows up other places as well. Every book in A Series of Unfortunate Events has 13 chapters, and there are 13 novels in the series, the last of which was released on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006...."
You guys get the idea, I'm sure. So my question is.. do you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia/triskaidekaphobia? Did the books contribute to it if you do? As for me, I suffer from a mild case of it. I'm not terribly afraid of the date or number, but I'm always more cautious and aware of my surroundings on said day. What about you?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 12:38 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
