Well, well, here it is.  Friday the 13th.  Lucky, unlucky, how do you feel so far?  If you suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia today is surely a tough day for you. Perhaps you’ve called in sick?  Don’t plan on leaving the house?  Not going to drive anywhere?  Hope it goes well. 

People have been going to great lengths to avoid the number thirteen for a long time.  Whether it’s hotel room numbers or home buying or wedding dates or having a baby, people tend to steer clear of this number and this day at great lengths.  Silly?  Safe?  Who’s to say?

Regardless, it’s everywhere, this 13 fear, and it rears it’s head in strange places.  Supposedly in Paris superstitious diners can hire a professional 14th guest.  In 1939 in a small town in Indiana all black cats were forced to wear bells on a Friday the 13th. When nothing bad happened residents continued the practice for the next three years.  Formula 1 hasn’t had a number 13 car since 1974.  Many hotels and office buildings don’t even have a 13th floor.  And on and on it goes.

We here at Monkeywhale are all over the map on this one.  The two of us here at the studio have a black cat, have one birthday on the 13th, have an address that includes the number 13 and currently have ladders all over the yard just waiting to be walked under.  But ask our superstition expert Barry Staples and it’s a different story.  He’s staying home today.  And certainly not driving.  After having wrecked two cars on the last two Friday the 13ths he’ll not be taking any chances, thank you.

Just for the record, in many parts of the world it is considered good luck when a black cat chooses your home.  That is exactly what happened to us.  So perhaps it is really about choosing your myths. We hope you all have a safe and interesting day.

For inspiration, here’s what some really intelligent people had to say…

“The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.”  Wilson Mizner

Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. “It was bad luck,” Twain later told the friend. “They only had food for 12.”