Friday the 13th is Upon Us!!!

Around the world, many people believe in things causing good or bad luck. These are known as superstitions. We are approaching lucky and unlucky days in March. Saint Patrick’s day on March 17th and the 13th of March happens to land on a Friday. Also, March 9, 2020, was a full moon which is believed to cause bad luck. Superstitions are believed in because sometimes we need to believe bad luck happens for reasons other than by chance. Sometimes we believe in superstitions because it is just good ol’ fun. When surveying West students we found most students did not believe in most common superstitions. An average of 70%-80% of the surveyed students said no, 10%-15% said yes and 10% to 20% said maybe. 

Friday the 13th is awfully a superstitious day. Many people believe in Friday the 13th and other superstitions, while on the flip side, many do not. Friday the 13th originated from Friday and thirteen being seen as unlucky. West seventh-grader Ava Boccarosa says to her Friday the 13th is, “just a day, but there is this one time in fifth grade when we were talking about Friday the 13th in class, and we were on chapter 13 on page 113, in room 113 and it was pretty weird.”

West Seventh-grader Giorgi Nischik has an extra connection with Friday the 13th because her birthday falls on the 13th. Thankfully she wasn’t born on a Friday, but her birthday was destined to fall on that day. Nischik shared, “My first Friday the 13th birthday was in second grade when I was turning eight and I went to Skatin’ Station for my birthday with some of my friends. I was so happy and then some kid pushed me down and I broke my wrist.” That, of course, was Friday the 13th. This year, 2020, March 13th is on a Friday and she’s turning 13! Good luck Giorgi!! Fingers crossed you have a safe birthday! 

Boccarossa shares, “I sometimes go against superstition, like when we drive past a graveyard I actually breathe in, I take a deep breath just to prove it’s wrong.” Others believe if you don’t hold your breath when passing a graveyard the spirits will take your breath when you pass, but Boccarossa has proved it is only a myth. 

Here are more superstitions:

Opening an umbrella inside: Originated by a legend of a roman woman who opened an umbrella inside moments before her house collapsed. 

Breaking a mirror: A folktale that dooms you for seven years of bad luck. It leads to people in the old days covering mirrors when someone died. People created ways to free them from the curse by touching a piece of the broken glass to a tombstone or grinding the mirror shards into 

powder.

Black cats: Originates from old beliefs of witches and their animal companions. 

Knock on wood: originated from myths of old spirits in trees and it’s used to prevent curses.

Works Cited

Pappas, Stephanie. “Thirteen Common (But Silly) Superstitions to Savor.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 13 July 2012, www.nbcnews.com/id/45988346/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/thirteen-common-superstitions-savor/#.XmlZaI4Z72f.