According to a USA Today article, most calendar years have two Friday the 13th's. But, last year---2011---there was only one Friday the 13th. And, this year---2012---there will be three Friday the 13ths---January 13th, April 13th, and July 13th.
What's so noteworthy about that?
For those who dabble in things occult: Those three Friday the 13ths are 13 weeks apart!
However, there are three Friday the 13ths every couple of years. The last was in 2009 and there will be another is 2015.
Not so noteworthy then?
Well, for those who dabble in things occult: In 2012, it's happening during a leap year and this won't happen again until 2040.
"Dr. 13," a University of Delaware professor of mathematics, Tom Fernsler, keeps an eye on these things. Fernsler has made it a hobby to find dates and events associated with the number 13. Concerning Friday the 13th, Fernsler says, it isn't special. Over the course of 400 years, the 13th falls on a Friday more than any other day: 688 times.
Even so, Fernsler notes, the number 13 and Friday appear in mythology, spirituality, and various religious traditions. For Christians, 13 people attended the Last Supper, that is, until Judas took leave. Medieval Knights Templar were imprisoned on Friday the 13th. For many pagans, 13 is a lucky number, corresponding with the number of full moons each year. And, a Norse myth warns of dire consequences for dining in groups of 13, a point The Motley Monk should keep in mind.
Better yet, for The Motley Monk who loves learning new words, this factoid carries with it a jawbreaker "word of the day." Try this one: "paraskevidekatriaphobia." That is, the fear of Friday the 13th.
Let the discussion begin...
To read the USA Today article, click on the following link:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-12/Three-Friday-the-13ths-in-2012/52523744/1
On that rare occassion when you get a Friday the 13th in February in a non-leap year, then you get back-to-back Friday the 13ths. How rare is that??
ReplyDeleteThe Motley Monk hasn't a clue, he's not a paraskevidekatriaist. Better check with "Dr. 13" at the University of Delaware.
ReplyDeleteWho knows... Who cares.... All I know is that Lucky Friday the 13th means it is time to play POWERBALL and MEGAMILLIONS....
ReplyDeleteAfter-all, that is the only pension available to most people not working for the government or not in a Union.