Superstition

I’m not a superstitious man. Admittedly, I have my own beliefs & illogical thoughts, as many who know me would attest to. Nonetheless, I stand by my beliefs for reasons that have little to do with factual logic & more to do with the illogical side of reality, commonly known as superstition & false notions.
Now, I mention this not to garner pity or shock the masses (the latter being quite too easy), but to commemorate the age old fallacy of “Friday the 13th”.
What’s interesting to note is that despite how random this day may appear to be or appear in general, it does have its own effects. According to a study conducted bythe Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, 17 to 21 million Americans are affected by the outright fear & terror that they get from knowledge of this day. So much so, that they often barricade themselves in their homes & are down right terrified to do even the most mundane elements of their daily routine. Some even refuse to get out of bed, let alone travel. As a result, the US airline industry loses an estimated $900 million dollars in profits. Additionally, a British medical journal published a study stating that on these days, there is a significant increase in traffic accidents.
Its origins are a bit of a mystery in itself, but from what has been gathered, the two elements have been considered unlucky for their own individual reasons. With the case of the number 13, in numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve recognized signs of the zodiac, the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve Apostles of Jesus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.
In regards to Friday, as the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified, it has been viewed both positively and negatively among Christians. The actual day of Crucifixion was the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew Lunar calendar which does not correspond to "Friday" in the solar calendar of Rome. The 15th day of Nissan (beginning at Sundown) is celebration of Passover. But not to split hairs, it has still garnered negative beliefs nonetheless.
Yet, notable tragedies have occurred on Friday the 13th. Examples can be the “Friday the 13th storm”, which hit Buffalo, New York, which resulted in massive damages & loss of life. Another example can be the crashing of the private plane of the Uruguayan National Rugby team on October 13th, 1972, which incidentally was a Friday. Those poor souls were stranded in the Andes mountain range for several mountains, where half of the crew who survived, did so by committing acts of cannibalism upon the dead bodies.
Yes, these bad things did happen. And they did happen on Friday the 13th. But to automatically assume that is the reason would not only be slightly ludicrous, it would be damaging to individuals, if not society on a whole. Beliefs are one of the numerous differences between man & animal. It is these beliefs that encourage & motivate man to be more than he is, to be better & to strive for more, acting as a motivator & encouraging factor.
But that’s just my belief. Of course, I’m a cautious man. I pray every night before I go to bed, I try to keep my karma in check, try not to allow harm to befall others, I try to be as open minded to the elements & spirits as possible & I never, ever try to disrespect & ridicule things that I don’t understand.
But I’m not a superstitious man………I’m just human.