Do you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia?

Psst...Did you get the evil eye today? Spy any black cats? Did you remember that today is Friday the 13th?

How about a few Friday the 13th facts brought to us by Wikipedia...

The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia, a word derived from the concatenation of the Greek words Paraskeví (Παρασκευή) (meaning Friday), and dekatreís (δεκατρείς) (meaning thirteen), attached to phobía (φοβία) (meaning fear). The term triskaidekaphobia derives from the Greek words "tris", meaning 'three', "kai", meaning 'and', and "deka", meaning 'ten'. the whole word means three and ten. The word was derived in 1911 and first appeared in a mainstream source in 1953.


According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. "It's been estimated that $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day". Despite this, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don't suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays


Notable events for Friday the 13ths:

*Hurricane Charley made landfall in south Florida on Friday, August 13, 2004.
*The "Friday the 13th Storm" struck Buffalo, New York on Friday, October 13, 2006.
*The asteroid 2004 MN4 will make its close encounter on Friday, April 13, 2029.
*Andes Plane Crash of 1972
*On Friday July 13, 1733 22 Ships depart Havana Cuba destined for Spain. Encountering a Hurricane shortly after departure the ships return to Havana, only 4 make it back. 12 of the wrecks make of the 1733 Spanish Galleon Trail off the coast of the Florida Keys.

Some events are intentionally scheduled for Friday the 13th for dramatic effect. They include:

*Resident Evil 5 was released in the US and UK on Friday March 13 2009.
*SAW - The Ride at Thorpe Park, UK was opened on March 13 2009. Coincidentally the ride was marred by 'teething problems' for the first few days after it was opened[19][20]
*Black Sabbath's eponymous debut album was released in the UK on Friday, February 13, 1970. *The Opening ceremony of Athens Olympic Games took place on Friday, August 13, 2004.
*The 13th book in A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Friday, October 13, 2006 by Lemony Snicket, also known as novelist Daniel Handler.
*Four of the twelve films in the Friday the 13th series, including the most recent (reboot of a second film), were released on a Friday the 13th. The sequel to the reboot is planned to be released Friday August 13, 2010.
*Joss Whedon's new show Dollhouse aired its pilot on February 13, 2009.
*Every Friday the 13th thousands of bikers ride to the small town of Port Dover Ontario, Canada.
*Boston Lee Day is celebrated every Friday the 13th. Participants gather to enjoy the Boston Lee Drink for which this day is named.
*The popular Browser-based RPG Dragonfable has an undead war every Friday the 13th, with a common drop being the hockey mask all of the monsters wear.
*The 2009 film "2012" is set to be released on Friday November 13 2009.

Cool huh... I, myself have never been overly worried on this day of superstition overload, but what about you? Do you hide all day or go boldly into the world unworried of what might happen?

One final thought though - If a guy named Jason invites you to a sleep-away camp, run like hell!! ;)

Have a great weekend!