Friday the 13th not so ordinary

It’s a rarity to have a Friday fall on the 13th day of the month. In fact some consider leaving their home on Friday the 13th can bring bad luck. And I’m not talking about the kind of bad luck campers at Crystal Lake faced in the classic horror series penned by Victor Miller.
The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute estimates that more than 17 million people are affected by a fear of the day. Throughout the periods of history, from ancient to present, people have feared what they didn't understand. They turned and even depended on many things to explain various phenomenon happening around them. From religion to science, people have tried to satisfy their puzzled minds. Some, however, accepted these phenomena and simply took up practices to protect themselves from them.
Known as superstitions, these curious rituals have continued to fascinate us, and some are still even practiced by some people. Since the 13th day of the month fell on a Friday for both February and March, I decided to research the origins of some of our more popular superstitions.
Have you ever found yourself knocking on a piece of wood when telling a story or telling someone “God bless you” when they sneeze?
When some of us mention something good that has happened or that we expect to happen, we knock twice on a piece of wood (or some plywood with a thin layer of fake 'wood' or plastic with a wood design.) Why do we do this? Once, in the tides of time, trees were thought to be the homes of the gods. To be granted a favor, a person would nicely ask their diety and touch the bark of the tree (first knock). Then knock once more to signify a polite 'Thank you' (second knock).
As far as blessing someone when they sneeze, that origin began during the sixth century. It was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because they were expelling evil from their bodies. Later, when a great plague took hold of Europe, and people began sneezing violently, the Pope passed a law. Since sneezing meant that the person was going to die of plague, people were required to bless the sneezer.
Besides the obvious consequences, warnings of walking under a ladder have always been one of my favorite superstitions. In ancient times, a leaning ladder against a wall (with the floor and the wall) or opened (with the floor) forms a triangle. Some people believe the triangle was considered with symbol of life or the Holy Trinity; if one walked through a triangle of any kind, they were tempting the fates.
The same principle applies to breaking a mirror. Before the invention of mirrors, man gazed at his reflection or "soul," in pools, ponds and lakes. If the image was distorted, it was a mark of impending disaster.
The "unbreakable" metal mirrors of the early Egyptians and Greeks were valued items because of their magical properties. After glass mirrors were introduced, it was the Romans who tagged the broken mirror a sign of bad luck. The length of the prescribed misfortune, seven years, came from the Roman belief that man's body was physically rejuvenated every seven years, and he became, in effect, a new man.
Fear of Friday and the number 13 are also rooted in ancient Christianity. Scholars believe that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden on a Friday, Noah's flood started on a Friday and Christ was crucified on a Friday. Christians also noted that the number 13 represents the 13 disciples at Christ’s Last Supper including his betrayer, Judas Iscariot.
After watching one of my favorite movies, “Dumb & Dumber,” I remember a specific scene in which Lloyd (played by Jim Carrey) tells Harry (played by Jeff Daniels) to throw salt over his left shoulder after spilling it on the table. Where did this superstition come from?
Although some people believe that Judas Iscariot spilt salt during Christ’s Last Supper, this claim can't be proven. Salt was a very precious expensive commodity in the middle ages. It was also used for medicinal purposes. If someone spilled any salt, they were told to immediately throw it over their left shoulder to strike the nasty spirits in the eye, thus preventing sickness.Now that we know the origins of some common superstitions, walking outside on Friday the 13th doesn’t seem all that paralyzing.