The history of Friday the 13th goes back, likely to the middle ages. There are all sorts of speculations about where this belief came from. But it is just that, a belief. The mind is a powerful thing and is something we don’t fully understand. It is entirely possible that this myth of Friday the 13th being bad luck is our own creation, we believe in bad luck for that day and so we create it ourselves, without knowing it.
Things that may have happened that day, rolling an ankle, dinging your car, burning your finger in the over, are all things that may have happened anyway and we pin them on the day, or, they are things that happen because we are expecting something bad to happen.
If you are trying to be careful, thinking about it so hard, then the task becomes that much more difficult, you are overthinking it and the odds are, you are going to slip up. Maybe you’re slicing an apple and you are focusing extra hard on not letting the knife slip off and cut your finger, but in focusing so hard, you make just that happen.
My mom has a saying when it comes to this particular day. It isn’t Friday the 13th she is worried about, but Thursday the 12th. I never thought about this too much, but when you stop and consider it, no one cares about Thursday the 12th. But it precedes (obviously) Friday the 13th, so wouldn’t it be considered bad luck as well, because it is ushering in the bad luck day. Of course, once we step on that slope it is a slippery ride to the bottom. However, the point stands Friday the 13th, just like Thursday the 12th, is just a day.
Friday the 13th being in October this year is considered extra spooky because it’s October the month of monsters and goblins. It has inspired me to consider some appropriate reading for this month, what with the vibrant leaves, the cold and foggy mornings. While the day, and month, may be just another, it does set a certain mood.
For this month a few book recommendations would include The Witches of New York by Ami McKay, a book that I loved and, while it isn’t “spooky”, it is beautifully told and delves into the realm of witches and magic in our society; In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware, while this one didn’t live up to the blurbs on the cover, it is, on its own right, a wonderful mysterious read (just don’t read too much into the blurbs); and the final one I will recommend is The Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs, now this one is number 3 in the series, I didn’t read the first two, but the cover drew me in. It is a fantastic read of particular people living among us.
Each of these looks at things we consider scary, how our minds create certain beliefs, and how those beliefs will affect our perception on those around us. Similar to how our perception of Friday the 13th will affect how we act on that day.
Deanna Roney is an AU graduate who loves adventure in life and literature. Follow her path on the writing journey at https://deannaroney.wordpress.com/
