Friday the 13th — Be Forewarned
January 13th, 2012 § 4 Comments
This winter season has been unseasonably pleasant…until today. Last night we went to sleep with the sound of the wind howling through the wooded ravine behind our house. This morning we awoke to perhaps a couple of inches of wind driven snow and much cooler temperatures. The first real winter weather of the season had restrained its appearance until the 13th day of the New Year. I know that it is just a coincidence that today is a Friday but “Yikes!!!” you might say, “It’s Friday the 13th!”
Yes, it is. A day, just like any other day except that in some culture(s), possibly including even our own very sophisticated culture here in the United States, both the number and the day are considered unlucky. There is a great deal of folklore surrounding this unlucky day, so much so that Jean Meeus apparently devoted a chapter in his book “Mathematical Astronomical Morsels III” to it entitled Friggatriskaidekaphobia — Friday-thrirteen-fear. While I have not read the book, it is referenced in the 2012 Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell which I do read often.
The Astronomical Calendar points out that there are actually three occurrences of Fridays the 13th this year, the others being in April and July. These dates are the 104th and 195th days of 2012 respectively, perhaps making 2012 extraordinarily unlucky. “Why is that?”, the curious might ask. It is that this year, the Fridays the 13th are 13 weeks apart.
You have now been forewarned…good luck in 2012.
Mic,
Great post, Mic. I have already started a column about 2012′s crazy calendar. If you don’t mind, I’ll include these Friday the 13th facts, too.
Bruce
Thanks Bruce. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what else you have to pass on about the 2012 calendar.
Mic
I now feel colder than I did before…….snow and cold on Friday the 13th! Thinking that hibernation may be the answer!
I told one of my former coworkers at Hoover that in the fall of the year I was always hungry and sleepy, indicating to me that I was preparing for hibernation. “Yeah,” he said, “and you’re grouchy too.” I guess that clinched it.