Now I don’t want to cause fear or panic about this but I just want to remind you that tomorrow, is Friday the 13th.

When I was a kid, our helper would always say;

wag kang lalabas ng bahay, Prayder da tertin ngayon.

So syempre natatakot naman ako kaya I won’t go out of the house and play. Instead, pupunta nalang ako sa kusina to look for food (or I’ll ask her to make one for me).

wag ka masyadong kakain ng madami, Praydey da tertin ngayon, madaming nabubulunan.

So hindi na ako kakain ng madami and instead, isasaksak ko nalang ang TV para manood.

ay naku! wag ka hahawak sa saksakan! Praydey da tertin ngayon! Baka makuryente ka!

Teka nga, teka nga, ano ba’ng meron sa Friday the 13th at madaming bawal?

W00001a

I did my research and here is what I found out:

Friday the 13th is considered a superstitious day by many. In the Gregorian Calenday, the day occurs once, but at most times thrice a year. Actually, there is no written evidence about the “Friday the 13th” superstition until the 19th century, which means that the superstition is somewhat recent.

The earliest known reference in English occurs in 1869 when Giaochino Rossini, said to have considered the day unlucky actually died on Friday, November 13, 1869.

In numerology, the number 12 is considered the number of completeness thus we have 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 apostles of Jesus and 12 gods of Olympus. Adding another number (which is 13) transgresses the completeness.

Another theory can be found in the Norse mythology. Frigga, to which Friday was named after, is the goddess of love and fertility. When the Norse and German tribes were converted into Christianity, Frigga was banished to the mountains and was labeled a witch. It is said that every Friday, Frigga convened with eleven other witches and a devil, thus forming a gathering of thirteen.

The most popular theory however is the story of the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar are a group of military men who served the Church by protecting and guiding crusaders to Jerusalem. Eventually, the Knights Templar became powerful and wealthy that the Church considered them a threat. King Philip then ordered their arrest on Friday, October 13, 1307.

The fear of “Friday the 13th” is called paraskevidekatriaphobia (sige, tongue-twister to guys). In the United States, an estimated 17 to 21 million are affected by the fear of this day. Some avoid doing daily routines, do not go out of bed, do not take flights and halt business operations thus losing $800 to $900 million in business.

***

O ayan ha, wag ka malikot, Praydey da tertin ngayon, baka mapano ka. Steady ka lang dyan.

Sumusobra na yata to ah.

Siguro po kelangan mo akong pagbigyan sa mga gusto ko ngayon.

Napatingin bigla yung katulong namin.

O bakit naman?

Kasi baka maisumbong ko kay Nanay na nakikipaglandian ka sa driver ng service namin, sige ka, Praydey da tertin ngayon, pwedeng madulas ang dila ko. :P


Mga P.S.:

  • The next Friday the 13th after tomorrow will be in 2015 pa, so make the best out of your Friday the 13th!
  • I asked Dea out to watch 2012 tomorrow. =))