Today is Friday the 13th! How is it going for you so far? If days like today scare you, or if you don’t go on the 13th floor of a building, or if you get an even dozen rather than a baker’s dozen, then you might be suffering from triskaidekaphobia, the fear of 13!

Triskaidekaphobia the the fear of the number 13! Many people are morbidly afraid of Friday the 13th and some of the number 13 in and of itself, also known as paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia. Seriously. I’m betting there are support groups for these phobias.

It all started back in the Middle Ages when the powerful Knights Templar were running afoul of King Philip IV of France and the Catholic Pope. It was on Friday the 13th, 1307 when Pope and French King had the bloody assassinations of the Templar Knights executed. The surviving Knights went underground after that, forming the Freemasons. At least that’s the legend. Since then, Friday the 13th has been eyed with suspicion and dread.

The fear of Friday the 13th has bled over to a fear for the number 13 in general. You will notice there are a lot of buildings that don’t have a 13th floor. Check out all the unlucky and dark events that are associated with the number 13, Apollo 13 for example. Even Judas Iscariot was Jesus’ 13th apostle! Is it any wonder then that the number became associated with the dark side of life?

Psychologists suggest that people who are prone to superstition and are particularly dependent and suggestible are especially inclined to have some anxiety and apprehension on Friday the 13th and/or a fear of 13.

Oddly, Friday has fallen on the 13th three times so far this year. That’s an unusually high number of Friday the 13th’s in one year. I have to be honest, I’m starting to get a little nervous just writing about this!!