Everyone could use a good luck charm. They could help us out on those days where a little bit of extra spiritual blessing would come in handy.
Whether you believe in bad spirits or poor luck or not, it’s a very real thing for many people. Take friggatriskaidekaphobia, for example. It’s the fear of Friday the 13th and is considered a day for bad luck in many cultures and religions.
It’s actually a doubly bad day because both Friday and the number 13 have been associated with ill deeds and mishaps. Modern movies have added to this belief. Does the name Jason Voorhees ring a bell?
The website fearof.net says Friday the 13th is dreaded because it is associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Devout Christians also note that the 13th disciple who attended the Last Supper betrayed Jesus and that the Great Flood happened on a Friday.
Additionally, the torture of the Knights Templars by King Philip IV of France happened on a Friday the 13th. British culture also has ominous associations with Friday and 13 as Friday was when many public hangings took place and there were 13 steps to the gallows.
In numerology, 13 is considered an evil or insignificant number because it follows 12, which is considered a complete number because there are so many things that come by the dozen such as months in a year, signs of the zodiac and tribes of Israel. Do donuts or bagels count in this accounting?
In fact, the number 13 is considered so unlucky that even hotels will bypass the 13th floor.
Fortunately, we escape that fate this month, but there’s one coming up in May. Be prepared.
Yet that is only one of many harbingers of bad news and warnings for us to be cautious.
Most of us have heard the phrase “Beware the Ides of March.” Although not originally intended to be a bad omen, it was William Shakespeare in his play “Julius Caesar” that turned the Ides of March — once a celebration of the new year — into a prediction of doom and gloom, according to History.com. That’s the day he was murdered by his fellow Roman politicians.
Even with all these warnings, and no matter how hard we try, we can’t completely eliminate having “one of those days” where nothing seems to go right and we need to rub our lucky rabbit’s foot. But how many of us have a single, recurring day of the year when bad things happen?
For me and my family, that seems to happen on April 11. This year was no exception.
It started on an April 11 more than 30 years ago when my husband was in a near-fatal motorcycle crash involving a drunk driver who crossed the center divider.
For years, he would experience bad things on that day of the year. His bad luck has since been passed on to me.
Two years ago, on April 11, I was covering a flyover by the Thunderbirds when I wrenched my knee climbing into the back of our truck to get better visibility for the video I was shooting. It took months to recover.
Last year, I consciously did everything I could to protect us from harm, short of wrapping us in bubble wrap, and the day passed by in a blur.
This year I thought it was safe to venture out. But I was wrong.
A series of small disasters befell me earlier this week on — you guessed it — April 11. Nothing was exceptionally serious or life-threatening, yet, when combined they were enough to have me counting the minutes until the day was over.
Two involved my 6-month-old puppy. One involved having to completely change my outfit after having just gotten ready for work. Several were minor crises involving getting the paper published. Another triggered an asthma attack that left me gasping.
It just seems like too much of a coincidence for all of these things to happen on that one specific day. Perhaps it’s just because I am more aware of what’s going on that day, but maybe not.
Granted, there have been other horrible incidents that have occurred in my life, and a good many of them happened on the 11th of the month.
It would appear the 11th of the month — particularly in April — is our family’s Friday the 13th.
I think I need to find a way to have others concerned about this day, or make a popular movie series about it so I have enough money to hire an exorcist. Then maybe our luck will turn. In the meantime, next April 11 I will surround myself with whatever good luck charms I can find.
Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.