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At the financial asset management firm where I worked for 5 and 1/2 years, I did not really “fit in” with the others there.  Why?  It’s hard to know where to start…but our values were just different.  I was more concerned with world affairs than what was on TV.  I live in the country, in an over-100-year-old house, and buy my clothes at thrift shops and the Salvation Army.  Most of my co-workers lived in the city or the suburbs and bought their clothes at the mall.  I badgered the bosses into letting me start a recycling program in the office.  I was appalled at the waste of food I saw everyday and talked my co-workers into giving me their leftovers instead of throwing them out, which I then brought home to our chickens or to our compost bin.  My co-workers learned that if they had questions about being a vegetarian, natural foods, green living, meditating, Yoga…I was the one to ask.  I also gave Tarot card readings, seemed to be able to “read their minds”, and celebrated days like Beltane, Dia de los Muertos and solstices instead of July 4th and Christmas.  So what’s all this got to do with Friday the 13th?  Because for all of the reasons above, and more, I was called the “office witch”, and on Friday the 13th, everyone would say, “…but it’s Mari’s lucky day!”.   And so it was.

To be honest I have never taken a great deal of notice of Friday 13. I have never noticed that I have have had any particular bad luck on that day, and in fact, the events that I would call bad luck have occured on other days. Yesterday, I noticed no black cats, ladders or broken mirrors - the garbage was picked up on time (and the truck didn’t drop any in the street), The chops didn’t burn for dinner and oh joy! my computer actually worked without giving me too much grief.
So much for Friday 13. But why do we consider it unlucky anyway? You won’t find this date figuring hugely in the catalogue of major disasters. The Titanic sank on Monday, April 14; Krakatoa erupted on August 26; Chernobyl nuclear power plant went into meltdown on Saturday April 26. No Friday, no 13.
So given its conspicuous absence when something very unlucky happens, why do we fear it so? many events, including the crucifixion of Christ, have been believed to have happened on that date, but in fact there is no connection at all, or the actual dates are unknown.
The number 13 is considered to be unlucky because there were 13 at the Last Supper, and it is the card of Death in the Tarot. That kind of evidence would never stand up in court.
Friday is actually a fortunate day - it is the day of Venus, the Goddess of love and pleasure, Freya in Norse mythology, and a great day to be born according to the old rhyme:
Monday’s child is fair of face.
Tuesday’s child is full of grace.
Wednesday’s child is full of woe.
Thursday’s child has far to go.
Friday’s child is loving and giving.
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good in every way.
(It used to be ‘gay’ but political correctness has intervened

What on earth did this harmless, innocuous day do to deserve such bad press? Most modern observers seem to agree that it is a media beat up, a popular press invention - in fact, it could even be termed defamation.

I suggest reclaiming this day. Let’s declare Friday 13 `Nothing Happened Day.’ Let us celebrate the fact that hardly anything ever happens on Friday 13, and revel in its ordinariness. It will become a national - nay, an international - day of non happening.

Of course, life being the contrary animal it is, sinking ships and exploding volcanoes are likely to start occuring on Friday 13 just to spite us.

13.07.07– Today at the the Bluestocking Lounge:

It’s Friday the 13th.  What does this day conjure up for you?  Write or create some art reflecting the mystery and mythos of this day……

Post to category 13.07.o7 Friday the 13th or comment below.