Lucky 13?

Thirteen is a controversial number. It’s an odd number… a prime number...and a Fibonacci number.

There were 13 attendees at the Last Supper, and Judas was the 13th guest. There were 13 original colonies in the United States of America. Thirteen is the age of manhood in the Jewish tradition. There are 13 units in a baker’s dozen. In a deck of tarot cards, 13 is the death card. There are 13 cards of each suit in a deck of cards. In Italian, “fare tredici” means to “do 13” or “hit the jackpot.” Colgate University was founded by 13 men with 13 dollars and 13 prayers. The Munsters lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Alex Rodriguez was #13 on the Yankees. There are 13 witches in a coven. The Jersey Devil was allegedly Mrs. Leeds’ 13th child.

Lucky or unlucky? Decide for yourselves, gentle readers.

Friday, the 13th

Every so often, the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday, a day that many believe has inauspicious associations. Those who fear Friday the 13th are said to suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia, and people who are more generally afraid of the number 13 are called triskaidekaphobiacs.