We're a superstitious lot in Burton and South Derbyshire. From walking under ladders to finding a lone magpie, we are well aware of several eerie superstitions.
For many years Friday the 13th has been considered one of the unluckiest days of the year, with many of us in fear of what the day has in store for us.
This year we have two Friday the 13th dates – in April and July - but why is the day thought to bring bad luck and what has led to the increase in paranoia?
Paraskavedekatriaphobia is the official name for the fear of Friday the 13th (not to be confused with triskaidekaphobia which is the fear of the number 13) and across the globe it is believed that there are more than 17 million people suffering from the superstition, with many not leaving their homes afraid of what may happen.
Why are people scared of Friday 13th?
Since before Christ, 12 has been considered a "complete number." There are 12 days of Christmas, 12 apostles, 12 eggs in a dozen, 12 months a year and 12 zodiac signs – so it's easy to see from where people get their superstitions about the number 13.
However, for some it isn't just a superstition. Some of those who are scared of Friday the 13th have a genuine phobia called friggatriskaidekaphobia. Apparently, in America, $900 million is lost every Friday the 13th because people are too scared to work and travel on the date. In Paris you can even hire a "quatorzieme" – a professional 14th guest.
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Napoleon both suffered from the phobia. Roosevelt wouldn't travel on Friday the 13th or host a dinner with 13 guests.
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Is it really unlucky?
The number of people buying and selling a home declines on Friday the 13th, meaning that the transactions that do happen are quicker and smoother because staff have more time on their hands.
Weddings on this date are generally cheaper because nobody wants to get married on the unluckiest day of the year – it could even reduce the money you spend by thousands of pounds.
But if you can't have your wedding then, you could always have your honeymoon. Flights are cheaper to fly on Friday the 13th due to people's worries about travelling on this unlucky day.
So for some brave souls out there, Friday the 13th could actually prove to be pretty lucky.
Superstitions
However, fear of Friday the 13th is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to superstitions and here are a few – from the commonly known to the particularly strange.
Black cats
To many people cats are a companion and lovable pet – unless a black one crosses someone's path. The superstition is believed to arise from the belief in witches, with black cats being their commonly associated animal familiars.
They are now believed to be lucky and if one crosses your path good things could be coming your way. However, it has to cross from left to right.
Horseshoes
A horseshoe above the door brings good luck - but it needs to be the right way up. Your luck will run out if the horseshoe is upside down.
Magpies
Many of us perform differing rituals and routines in the presence of a single magpie. Some raise their hats, some salute in military fashion, others cross themselves and some believe that seeing a crow immediately after a magpie will cancel out the unfortunate effects of seeing one of these chattering birds.
Salt
It is unlucky to spill salt - if you do, you must throw it with your right hand over your left shoulder as it is believed that the devil will be sitting there. Throwing salt at him will banish the demon.
Boiled egg
When you've finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out.
Walking under ladders
Not walking under ladders is common sense to many of us and has nothing to do with luck. It certainly wouldn’t be ideal to knock off the person climbing it while going about their business.
However, the superstition claiming it to be unlucky is due to the triangle shape it makes against the wall. This is because of the Christian belief of Holy Trinity and walking under the ladder would be 'breaking the triangle' which was considered blasphemous.
Breaking a mirror
Always be careful with mirrors as, according to folklore, breaking the glass is one way to be left facing seven years' bad luck. This belief comes from the idea that mirrors do not just reflect the person's image, but also parts of their soul.
In the old days of the American South, people would cover all the mirrors in the house when someone died, lest their soul would be trapped inside.
Seven years is a long time to be unlucky but there is no need to panic as there are countermeasures to the curses, including touching a piece of broken mirror or grinding its shards into powder.
Opening an umbrella inside
Do not open umbrellas inside – it may injure someone standing a bit too close or break something valuable. The origins to why this is bad luck are not very clear but there are many legends surrounding it.
These include the tale of an ancient Roman woman who opened her umbrella inside moments before her house collapsed and a British prince who accepted two umbrellas from a visiting king and died within months.
Pennies and pins
Find a penny, pick it up … - everyone has heard the saying and to be fair it is true as to find money is always lucky. It is thought to be the spin-off from an old rhyme "See a pin, pick it up and all day long you'll have good luck. See a pin, let it lay and your luck will pass away."
Bad luck coming in threes
Bad luck comes in threes is a widely believed saying but is it more to do with people looking for bad luck?
If a couple of things have gone wrong in a day then people tend to look for a third. Something that was easily forgotten one day, can be the third in a series of bad things to happen on another.
Knocking on wood
Tempting fate is something done on a daily basis but there is no need to panic as knocking on wood will ward off bad luck – apparently. The idea of knocking on wood is believed to come from old myths about good spirits in trees or from an association with the Christian cross.
Rabbits foot
A rabbits foot is a time-honoured way of fending off evil, probably not so lucky for the rabbit, which may be a belief dating back to the early Celtic tribes in Britain.
They may also arise from hoodoo, a form of African-American folk magic and superstition that blends Native American, European and African tradition.
666 - the number of the beast
The Bible is also responsible for the belief that 666 is the sign of the devil. In the Book of Revelation, 666 is the number of the 'beast', often interpreted as Satan and the sign of the end of times.
Crossing fingers
On those days when a little luck is really needed, crossing one finger over the other is believed to help. This is a gesture that dates back to early Christianity when the story goes that two people used to cross index fingers when making a wish as a symbol of support from a friend to the person making the wish.
Rocking a chair
It is always tempting to rock an empty rocking chair but be warned – there is an Irish belief that rocking an empty chair invites dark forces to sit in it. If the chair moves on its own the malicious spirit has already settled in and may bring death to the family.
Buying a house
People buying a new house should also buy a new broom to be ready for the big move. Cleaning a new home with an old broom is bad news and is often interpreted as brushing away all the good luck.
Shoes on the table
Putting shoes on the table leading to potential death is an old belief which is thought to date back to old mining traditions.
When a miner died in a colliery accident his shoes were placed on the table as a sign of respect. Therefore, doing it when someone is not dead is tempting fate.
Why is Friday the 13th unlucky and what freaky things have happened in history?
The first Friday the 13th of the year is almost here and for those of you who aren't hiding under your duvet in fear, we've taken a look at some of the strangest things to have happened on this day.
Famous deaths
There have been a number of famous deaths on Friday the 13th - including rapper Tupac Shakur on September 13, 1996 six days after he had been targeted in a drive-by shooting; wrestler Lance Cade on August 13, 2010 while the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Malik Meraj Khalid died on June 13, 2003.
Andes plane crash
On October 13, 1972, an aeroplane carrying a rugby team from Montevideo to Chile disappeared over the Andes. Out of 45 passengers, 29 died from impact injuries, frostbite, starvation and an avalanche, with the remaining 16 forced to preserve the dead passengers in the snow and eat their flesh. The story was made into a book and a film – Alive.
Murder of Kitty Genovese
An unlucky event on a Friday the 13th led to a whole new psychological theory being developed. Kitty Genovese was murdered on March 13, 1964. The then 28-year-old was stabbed in Queens, in New York, while allegedly 38 neighbours did nothing.
While there is dispute over whether people did come and help her, and call the police, the killing led to the development of the Bystander Theory. This finds that a single witness to a crime is more likely to do something than if they are part of a large group of people. Winston Moseley was jailed for life for the killing and died in prison last year.
Buckingham Palace was bombed
Buckingham Palace was hit on 16 separate occasions during the Blitz of the Second World War. On September 13, 1940, five German bombs destroyed the Palace Chapel. Four people were injured and one member of the Royal staff died.
Prior to this, the palace had first been hit on September 8 1940, and then again the following day on September 9, when a second delayed-action bomb fell close to a swimming pool at the north western part of the Palace.
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A boy was struck by lightning
A 13-year-old boy was reportedly struck by lightning at 13:13 on Friday August 13, 2010. The boy, from Suffolk, survived unharmed after he had been watching a Red Arrows display in Lowestoft during a violent thunderstorm.
Stock market crash
The stock market has also not escaped a brush with bad luck. On Friday, October 13, 1989, global markets plunged when a buyout for a United Airlines parent company failed. It was later referred to as Black Friday.
An asteroid might get uncomfortably close
It hasn't happened yet, but it's predicted that on April 13, 2029 the asteroid 99942 Apophis is due to pass Earth 18,000 miles away – which is closer than any of the satellites we've put into orbit.
So, with all that going on, it is no wonder some superstitious folk out there don't want to venture outside. And while some might find the idea of being scared of a day rather odd, it is a bona-fide phobia that stems way back.
