I remember that I discussed my thesis for my master’s degree in Social Communication on Friday 13th and it was not a disaster, but I went through an unexpected situation: I read before the tribunal a PowerPoint that was not the last, but the penultimate and I thought that no one had noticed it, but the president of the tribunal did.
My tutor did not like that I was discussing my thesis on that Friday, February 13th, 2015, but as I do not believe much in superstitions I accepted the date that I had postponed for several years. I had sworn that I would graduate with a master’s degree. Fortunately I got the five.
I don’t really believe much in superstitions, but just in case, I always leave my house on the right foot.
Sometimes I think that when you are born the beginning and the end of your life is written in a book and what is not there for you, even if you fall from the sky, nothing happens to you.
Some time ago a girl who fell from a fourth floor and survived made the news in Cuba, and more recently a Hindu of British origin walked out of the wreckage of a plane crash on a flight from India to London.
It also happened that a passenger on the same flight was denied access because she arrived 10 minutes late and the plane was already closed.
Why did this superstition arise?
In 1907, a book called “Friday 13th” was published by a stockbroker named Thomas Lawson. It was the inspiration for the Friday 13th mythology that culminated in movies and television series in the 1980s.
It was on Friday 13th of October 1307 when Philip IV ordered the arrest of all the Templars, who suffered “terrible tortures”.
There are also other speculations: the 13 diners of the Last Supper and the crucifixion and death of Jesus on Friday are two of them.
There is also this superstition with Tuesday 13th, another day that supposedly brings bad luck, although its origin is not clear. Some traditions point to the relationship between Tuesday and the Roman god of war, Mars, who is related to death.
The philosopher Javier Sádaba stressed the importance of the number, which would come from pagan rituals, prior to Christianity. In fact, triscaidecaphobia is the Greek word for the irrational fear of the number 13.
What is clear is that the number 13 has a very bad reputation: elevators without that number, airlines without row 13 or hotel rooms that avoid 13 are good examples.
Although it can also be a very good hook: the movie Friday 13th, which was released more than 40 years ago, is a classic horror film. The craze for this day is such that one of the usual Google searches for this day is “What happens on Friday 13th?”.
Psychologist Antonio Cano-Vindel said that superstitions are “an explanation of reality based on irrational, non-scientific beliefs”. In short, a way of putting the blame on something else to take it off oneself.
Anyway, just in case, if I ever finish my PhD thesis, I swear not to discuss it on Friday 13th.
Translated by Aliani Rojas Fernandez
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