Western culture's fear of number 13 is evident enough to acquire a name triskaidekaphobia, and the people afflicted with irrational fear of Friday the 13th are called paraskevidekatriaphobics. What a word for a number phobia.
How did Friday the 13th become such an unlucky day to many superstitious believers?
Dossey, a folklore historian traced the root of number 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a festive celebration at Valhalla, their heaven, when an intruder, an univited guest joined in. The 13th gatecrasher was Loki. Once in the group, feeling unwanted, he arranged for the blind god of darkness, Holder, to shoot Balder, the Beautiful, god of joy and gladness, with mistletoe-tipped arrow. It was fatal, Balder died, and everything went black. The whole earth mourned for his death. It was a bad, unlucky day. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding.
The fear of number 13 is still strong today.
And why Friday?
