Why is Friday the 13th so Ominous?

Why is Friday the 13th so Ominous? There seems to be no concrete answer just a whole bunch of legends and tales that bind the number 13 and the 6th day of the week in a foreboding pair. It seems their inevitable alignment one to three times a year (this is the second occurrence in 2013, exactly 13 weeks apart!) portends more misfortune than some credulous minds can bear.


LEGEND HAS IT: -If 13 people sit down to dinner together, one will die within the year.
-The Turks so disliked the number 13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary (Brewer, 1894).
-Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor.
-If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names).
-There are 13 witches in a coven...
-Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams.
-If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow.
-Don't start a trip on Friday or you will encounter misfortune. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck, as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday. One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell the longstanding superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned and given the name "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday, and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday — and was never seen or heard from again.

Some other tales of poor misunderstood 13 I ran across...

1)To the ancient Egyptians, we're told, life was a quest for spiritual ascension which unfolded in stages — twelve in this life and a thirteenth beyond, thought to be the eternal afterlife. The number 13 therefore symbolized death, not in terms of dust and decay but as a glorious and desirable transformation. Though Egyptian civilization perished, the symbolism conferred on the number 13 by its priesthood survived, we may speculate, only to be corrupted by subsequent cultures who came to associate 13 with a fear of death instead of a reverence for the afterlife.

2)Thirteen had been revered in prehistoric goddess-worshiping cultures, we are told, because it corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year (13 x 28 = 364 days). The "Earth Mother of Laussel," for example — a 27,000-year-old carving found near the Lascaux caves in France often cited as an icon of matriarchal spirituality — depicts a female figure holding a crescent-shaped horn bearing 13 notches. As the solar calendar triumphed over the lunar with the rise of male-dominated civilization, it is surmised, so did the "perfect" number 12 over the "imperfect" number 13, thereafter considered anathema.

3)And Loki makes thirteen---Twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki, the Evil One, god of mischief, had been left off the guest list but crashed the party, bringing the total number of attendees to 13. True to character, Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, the blind god of winter, to attack Balder the Good, who was a favorite of the gods. Hod took a spear of mistletoe offered by Loki and obediently hurled it at Balder, killing him instantly. All Valhalla grieved. And although one might take the moral of this story to be "Beware of uninvited guests bearing mistletoe," the Norse themselves apparently concluded that 13 people at a dinner party is just plain bad luck.
As if to prove the point, the Bible tells us there were exactly 13 present at the Last Supper. One of the dinner guests — er, disciples — betrayed Jesus Christ, setting the stage for the Crucifixion. Did I mention the Crucifixion took place on a Friday?


How does Friday get tied to this unlucky number?:


1)Well, many pre-christian/pagan religions saw Friday as their Sabbath. All of a sudden the Roman Church started saying all bad things in the bible happened on a Friday... It was on a Friday, supposedly, that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. Adam bit, as we all learned in Sunday School, and they were both ejected from Paradise. Tradition also holds that the Great Flood began on a Friday; God tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday; the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday; and, of course, Friday was the day of the week on which Christ was crucified. It is therefore a day of penance for Christians.

2)Friday is also named for the Teutonic goddess Frigg or Freya, the goddess of love and fertility...and again the Christians intervened and made her a witch and associated with evil deeds.

3)And, In pagan Rome, Friday was execution day (later Hangman's Day in Britain).


There you have it, Thirteen is bad luck and Friday is bad luck ( or legend tells us so) put them together and *shudder* as Oct 13 1307 the day of the decimation of the Knights Templar...poorly documented but highly believed.


Stay wary and enjoy the release of the Desolation of Smaug!

Fun-Sized Friday Facts

If Brach’s laid out the candy corn kernels it sells each year end to end, they would wrap around the Earth 4.25 times

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? On average, a licking machine designed by engineering students at Purdue needed 364.

When the treat was introduced in the 1930s, a 3 Musketeers consisted of separate chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry pieces, hence the name. I think they should bring all the flavors back!

Milky Way bars weren’t named after their home galaxy. The name comes from a type of malted milkshake that was popular in the early 1920s.

 Thanks to Mental Floss for the facts! By the way...Fun-Sized? Liars! When will they realize that when it comes to fun...Size Matters!

Friday Fun Fact

According to a Spanish study beer works faster than water at re-hydrating and re-energizing the body after a workout. Beer's carbon dioxide quenches thirst more quickly and carbohydrates replace energy lost while exercising.

Friday Fun Fact!

Graham Crackers were in invented in 1829 by Reverend Sylvester Graham, who felt the bland food was a perfect prescription for those prone to excessive amounts of “self-abuse.” The term used for masturbation. Apparently dry crackers would bore the sexual appetite right out of you.

Edible Aphrodisiacs

Rissa and I are in the midst of writing a short story where chocolate has a major role. It was chosen not only because we both love it but because it’s been proven to enhance romance. I have quite a collection of articles about edible aphrodisiacs. Whether they work or not is up to the consumer. But enhancing the libido by the suggestion in your mind couldn’t hurt.

Just added a few new studies to my collection, so as you prepare a holiday meal for that certain someone, keep these in mind.

Of Course chocolate is in there! Women love it for a reason, guys!

"According to Italian researchers, women who eat chocolate regularly have a better sex life than those who deny themselves the treat. Those consuming the sugary snack had the highest levels of desire, arousal and satisfaction from sex."

Chocolate stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure. The same endorphins produced by kissing. Dark chocolate also contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant and it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants.

The Journal of Sexual Medicine concurs with the Italian study- people who consume at least one cube of dark chocolate a day experience greater desire and enjoy love making more than those who don’t.

Looking for a Mixer for those drinks? Go Pomegranate!

According to UCLA scientists, this blood red juice gets the real blood flowing! It’s rich in antioxidants that increase blood flow much the way Viagra does. No prescription needed!

Need a side dish when someone special is coming for dinner? Asparagus!

According to the co-author of Great Food, Great Sex (awesome book to have btw!) this long juicy green plant can steam things up! Asparagus has a chemical, Protodioscin, which has been shown to boost arousal.

Yes I share these studies with my husband *g* I get more chocolate as surprise gifts. And just seeing one of the foods or drinks included with our meal…*eg*

Now I leave you with my yearly tribute to my favorite chocolate candy… How Do You Eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup?

I place it up to my mouth. My lips softly caress the side as they part. I gently nip the edges until all the ridges have been grazed. The sensuous aroma of peanut butter blended with chocolate teases me. My eyes drift closed. My mouth moistens. I open for more. I ache to taste it, to take it inside me and devour it. With a hungry moan I draw it into the warmth of my mouth. I press it to the arched top. My tongue holds it in place as it slowly, forcefully, undulates against the underside. I suck and swallow the decadent union of chocolate and peanut butter until nothing is left except the extreme desire for more.

Impromptu Friday 13 on Mistletoe

A while back I researched Mistletoe for an article and have recently put my findings to use in a WIP. So here are some things I learned:

1. Mistletoe does not root in soil but grows in the branches of trees. It relies on the support of a host tree to gather nutrients and water. Until the plant has its own leaves and can make food through photosynthesis. It bears its berries during winter solstice.

2. In the first century, the Druids believed that mistletoe could perform miracles, from providing fertility to humans and animals to healing diseases and protecting people from witchcraft. The Druids would cut mistletoe off oak trees in a special ceremony five days after the new moon following the winter solstice. The Druids believed that the mistletoe would become contaminated if it touched the ground, so they used a special white cloth to catch it. The Druids then sacrificed two white bulls while prayers were said, and priests gave out the mistletoe sprigs to the people, who believed they would then be kept safe from evil spirits and storms.

3. No one loves a party like the ancient Romans, and their festival of Saturnalia is one of the most documented celebrations of the Winter Solstice. This week-long bacchanal included exchanging of gifts, lots of food and wine, dancing and music. Slaves got the week off work, courts were closed, and all kinds of debauchery took place. This festival honored Saturn, of course, and he was an agricultural god. To keep him happy, fertility rituals took place under the mistletoe. Today, we don't quite go that far under our mistletoe (at least not usually) but it does explain where the kissing tradition comes from.

4. In Norse mythology, (rambling explanation) Baldr, son of Frigga and a mortal, was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe. Frigga goddess of love had said if anything of the earth or elements killed her son she would destroy all living things. They took an oath not to kill him. Because Mistletoe grows on trees and not in the earth it wasn’t part of the oath. The Norse gods and Baldr played war games because nothing could kill him. Loki made the arrow of mistletoe and tricked Hoder to use it. It killed Baldr. Frigga’s tears turned the berries from red to white. When the god of the underworld heard of Loki’s deceit he returned Baldr’s soul. Frigga took mistletoe into her keeping; making it an instrument of Love. It could no longer kill Baldr. She kissed all who passed beneath it in thanks for Baldr coming back to life. (Starting the symbolism of kissing beneath the mistletoe as a sign of love,)

5. The correct mistletoe etiquette stemming from Victorian times is the woman should be cought unawares under the mistletoe. The man approaches and requests a kiss if granted he removes one berry when he kisses a woman. When all the berries are gone, there's no more kissing permitted underneath that plant.

6. One legend states that a couple who kisses underneath mistletoe will have good luck, but a couple neglecting to perform the ritual will have bad luck. Specifically, it is believed that a couple kissing under the mistletoe ensure themselves of marriage and a long, happy life, while an unmarried woman not kissed under the mistletoe will remain single for another year.
7. Maidens placed a sprig of mistletoe under her pillow to dream of the man she would marry.

8.. Burning a sprig of mistletoe foretold the type of marriage. A steady flame a happy marriage would follow. Flickle sputtering flames indicated an unhappy marriage.

9. Mistletoe is also a symbol of peace. Enemies that meet under it are sworn to lay down their arms embrace and call a truce til the next day. This probably links mistletoe to the Christmas season too.

10. Leaves and young twigs are used by herbalists, and it is popular in Europe, especially in Germany, for treating circulatory and respiratory system problems.

11. The sticky juice of mistletoe berries was used as adhesive to trap small animals or birds. In South Africa it is called "Bird lime" in English and voelent in Afrikaans. A handful of ripe fruits are chewed until sticky, and the mass is then rubbed between the palms of the hands to form long extremely sticky strands which are then coiled around small thin tree branches where birds perch. When a bird lands on this it gets stuck to the branch and is then easy to catch by hand.

12. The herb was used historically in Old Europe for treatment of epilepsy and other convulsive nervous disorders, and was used extensively in the 16th and 17th centuries. Mistletoe is a nervine, and a narcotic, that is, it has a profound effect on the nervous system. Eating the berries can cause convulsions in children. Herbalists use Mistletoe Phoradendron flavescens teas slow the pulse and lower blood pressure, treat arthritic pain and snoring. There are valuable medicinal uses for this herb, but there are many safer, less toxic choices to treat the same conditions available to the home herbalist. It may be best to enjoy mistletoe's tradition of decorating our homes in the winter season, and reflecting on it's legendary promise of the return of new life in the spring.

13. Un-tweaked peek at scene using mistletoe:
Grace fiddled with her dance card and tried to stand nonchalantly beneath the mistletoe, as if she had no clue it was there. She blew away a wisp of unruly hair broken free from her coif and noted one white berry remained…one kiss to be had.

She glanced around the room. Samuel Howards made his way towards her. She should be happy he was perfect husband material. He was a choice that would please her father. Still she could not help but be disappointed. And as he moved closer and smiled, she could not help wish the kiss would be given to…

“You seem to be standing beneath the Mistletoe, Grace.”

She looked up into brown eyes flecked with gold…Daniel. Excitement skittered through her. “Am I?”