Friday the 13th... yikes!

   Paraskevidekatriaphobia:  the fear of Friday the 13th. They say you're protected if you learn how to pronounce it -- 'para-skev-EE-dek-a-tri-a-pho-bia'.

   My grandmother taught me two superstitions: opening an umbrella inside will cause bad luck to 'rain down' on you, and placing a hat on a bed means someone will die!  What superstitions do you believe in? Did your grandmother warn you about any like mine did?

'Today's the day. It's Friday, the 13th, today - the time when you should be especially wary of black cats in your path, ladders and mirrors. All these things are apt to bring you bad luck, so the old sayings go. But they're just superstitions.'

1964. Don Hunter/Staff

'Take the corruption of the Greek word for 13 and combine it with another Greek word meaning fear, and you have something to describe how the superstition of Friday the 13th originated.' 1967.

'Three on a match is bad luck.' 1962.

Don Hunter/Staff

This girl is just begging for bad luck. 1973.

'D.B. Keller avoids ladder ... it was placed there as a test.'

Did the Observer (or News) stage this? Hysterical!

1974.

Cat and potions. 1969.

No info. But she should really close that umbrella.