
FILE PHOTO: Today marks 'Friday the 13th'. PICTURE: Shutterstock
The use of ‘good’ in the context of Good Friday is said to mean ‘holy’.
Could it be that the passing of many phenomenon stars in South Africa is proof that 2021 is indeed a terrible year, provided that today marks ‘Friday the 13th”?
Multitudes of people believe in the superstition ‘Friday the 13th’. It is unclear as to when this superstition came about, although it has been perceived to be a day of bad luck and the unluckiest day of the year, since the 20th century.
Some Christians believe that the day ‘Friday’ is not a good day, because it is the day Jesus was crucified. Yet again, ‘Good Friday’ is celebrated to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. The use of ‘good’ in the context of Good Friday is said to mean ‘holy’.
The late Austrian-American composer Arnold Schoenberg was widely known for his crippling case of ‘Triskaidedaphobia’, which is the fear of the number 13.
He entirely believed that the day Friday together with the number 13 represented or meant that the day would result in a cruel twist of fate. The most shocking thing of it all is that the 76-year-old composer died on 13 Friday, July 1951.
As someone who was incredibly anxious about the number 13, on the day he died, he had decided to stay in bed avoiding the worst to happen, and sadly the worst indeed happened.
Schoenberg believed that the number 12 symbolizes perfection, because there are 12 months in a year, 12 hours on a clock, and there are 12 zodiac signs. Another interesting fact about Arnold’s story with this superstition is that the age at which he died added up to the number ’13’ (7+6=13).
The number ’13’:
- According to some sources and studies, the number ’13’ symbolizes death, whether to a particular thing or person.
- In tarrot, the number 13 card is named as death, whether it being an end of a struggling period and new beginnings or the end of something good.
- ’13’ brings forth a test, suffering, and/or death.
- It brings bad luck and misfortune.
- It is assumed that when you see a black cat on this day (Friday the 13th), it could lead to bad luck.
- It is also stated that it is preferably good and less risky to not travel on this day.
If you are already feeling anxious about this day or the story of Arnold, drink a glass of water and loosen up, because superstitions are not entirely based on facts. Schoenberg’s story could be a coincidence and his passing could have been caused by stress and anxiety because he was intensely struggling with ‘Triskaidedaphobia’.
However, if you strongly believe in ‘Friday the 13th’, do the best you can to avoid misfortune, such that you perhaps stay indoors.
Yet again, no one has control of what life could bring you, so for your own serenity and mental health, do not stress nor overthink about this day.