Why has Friday the 13th become the traditional day of misfortune? Friday the 13th was never a day of bad luck in history, but rather Friday and the number 13 are two separate symbols of misfortune. Together, they have formed an ominous day with double doses of bad luck for those who believe in superstitions.
Norse legend has it that the mischievous Loki, the uninvited 13th guest at a party for 12 in Valhalla (the Norse version of heaven), arranged for Balder the Beautiful to be murdered with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. The entire world went dark when Balder, the god of joy and gladness, died. In ancient Rome, witches were thought to have gathered in groups of 12, with the devil completing their circle of 13 members.
In England, Friday was traditionally reserved for public hangings, and supposedly there were 13 steps leading to the noose. Also, it is rumored that King Phillip of France arrested and began to torture the Knights Templar on Friday the 13th in 1306.
The Bible also has stories that put Fridays and the number 13 on the unlucky side of life. It is believed that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday, and, if you count Jesus, the traitor Judas was the 13 guest at the Last Supper.
In fact, numerologists consider 12 to be a complete number: 12 each for signs of the zodiac, gods of Olympus, labors of Hercules and the tribes of Israel.
By exceeding 12 by 1, 13 becomes bad luck because it is a bit beyond completeness. So ... 80 percent of high-rises have no Floor 13, airplanes don't have seat number 13, hotels and hospitals have no room 13 and the Italian lottery has no No. 13. In Florence, Italy, street addresses have no 13 address.
Our ethnically and religiously diverse Morgan Hill teens have a few cultural superstitions that add color to their lives.
A Swedish/Brazilian family told its teens that it is bad luck to sing before breakfast and it is bad luck to leave shoes or keys on a bare table. Further, it is bad luck to sleep without a shirt because your spirit could leave your body, go out for a drink and then never return.
There is a Mexican superstition concerning a monster called the chupacabra "goat sucker" that kills farm animals in Latin American countries such as Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Chile and Mexico.
Also in Mexico, during parades for Jesus, statues of Jesus are carried carefully to prevent the statue from touching the ground. If any statue of Jesus touched the ground, the world will end.
A few older people do not walk over broom handles or under ladders. They believe that an itchy right palm means a friend will greet you; an itchy left palm means money is on its way.
Some Vietnamese people believe that you should not pat someone's head because their head is where their ancestors live. Also, do not wear white on New Year's Day.
Many cultures caution that a baby should not see its reflection until it is a year old. Keep cats away from babies; otherwise they will suck the breath from the infants. And of course, never say never or you will jinx yourself.
Most local teenagers, however, do not believe in superstitions and certainly do not let them control their lives. Good luck charms get more play in this community. Teens recommend taking tests with purple ink or wearing clothes given by your parents on that big test day.
To prevent bad dreams from worsening, let a live cat sleep in your room, provided it hasn't sucked the breath out of you when you were a baby. And always, always knock on wood (or on your head, wood becoming a rarity in our synthetic world).
Salt protects you from evil spirits and bad energy, especially if you throw it over your shoulder. Amber beads will protect you from illness. And horseshoes (facing downward) hung above a doorway will be good luck, unless you live in the British Isles. There you must place them upwards, or your luck will run out.
Lots of teens will be figuratively putting up their lucky horseshoes these days.
The job market is challenging for everyone, colleges are increasing tuition and reducing acceptance numbers, plus the Morgan Hill School District's budget has been reduced by millions. Hard-working teens will need more luck than ever to make it through the challenges ahead. And they probably will prevail. Knock on wood.
Catherine Connor
Catherine Connor Catherine Connor is a senior at Ann Sobrato High School. She writes a monthly youth column for the Morgan Hill Times. She can be reached at cthrnpm@aol.com.
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