STORY BY SHELBY OSHEL
PHOTOS BY ALLISON SCHWEIZER
Friday the 13th is often seen as a day of the macabre, with many believing that the number is cursed or unlucky. As unlikely as it seems, many historians believe that the fear surrounding Friday the 13th stems from Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, which linked the day to many ill feelings and bad omens. It has also been said that Friday the 13th is considered unlucky because 13 disciples were present at the Last Supper, with Judas being the 13th to arrive.
There are some individuals who have severe fears of Friday the 13th. This fear is known as either friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia. Paraskevidekatriaphobics often refuse to leave their homes when this date arrives. This phobia is closely related to triskaidekaphobia— the fear of the number 13. Selenophobics, individuals who have an extreme fear of the moon or its light, may also be affected.
The full moon falls on Friday the 13th for the first time in almost two decades. This strange coincidence will not occur again until August of 2049, a whopping thirty years from now. There are many superstitions involving the moon. The most famous, of course, is the curse of the werewolf. As the story goes, if a human is bitten by a werewolf, they will involuntarily transform into a terrifying beast that is half-man and half-wolf during a full moon. It is the belief of many that the moon causes unfavorable changes in behavior; in fact, the word lunatic is derived from the Latin word for moon, luna.
While many of these legends are interesting, some are peculiar. For instance, there is a legend that claims if you hang your clothing to dry on the night of a full moon, your garments will be bleached until they shine. Another offers that if you cut your hair during a full moon, it will grow back at a much quicker rate.
Regardless of if yourself frightened or enlightened by the 13th, it comes as an extremely rare and special occasion. Although some have reservations about the 13th, others, such as sophomore Zach Purcell, find the situation interesting.
“I think it’s very cool,” he states, “Not only is it both a full moon and Friday the 13th, it’s also the day where the moon is farthest from earth as it usually gets. I believe it’s called a micro-moon or something as opposed to supermoon.”