The unluckiest day on the calendar, Friday the 13th has arrived and this year it will be making a double appearance.
Friday the 13th will make a second appearance in October, the spookiest month of the year. Over the years, the day has become known traditionally as a superstitious day.
A commonly known superstition is to avoid walking under a ladder unless you want a couple of years of bad luck. This is something Inman Perk Cafe barista, Elijah Lumpkin, makes sure to avoid.
“I would avoid ladders. And I wouldn't break any mirrors,” Lumpkin said. “It was just like something I heard. And I was like, not going on a ladder and then I had a friend Lily got hurt walking under a ladder.”
Gainesville City Councilwoman Juli Clay is superstitious when it comes to sports.
“This year for Gainesville football we had a group that ate the exact same thing at Mellow Mushroom before every game. And we became very superstitious about making sure we did that every game,” Clay said.
According to History.com, researchers estimate that as many as 10% of the U.S. population have a fear of Friday the 13th which is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. In Biblical tradition, 13 guests attended the Last Supper and on the next day, Good Friday, Jesus was crucified. In ancient Norse lore, evil and turmoil were first introduced into the world by the appearance of the mischievous god Loki at a dinner party, he was the 13th guest.
Historically, a number of traumatic events have also occurred on Friday the 13th. The 1940 German bombing of Buckingham Palace, the 1996 death of rapper Tupac Shakur and the 2012 crash of the Costa Concordia cruise ship all happened on Friday the 13th.
However, it is unclear why Friday the 13th is feared globally. In other cultures, such as in Ancient Egypt,13 is considered a lucky number.
