POLOKWANE – Are you the sort of person who will never walk under a ladder or open your umbrella up indoors?
If so, the chances are that you’ll also avoid sitting in seat number 13, and that the second Friday in November was a particular source of anxiety for you.
The fear of Friday the 13th is quite a mouthful and is called paraskevidekatriaphobia. It is derived from the Greek words paraskevi (Friday) and dekatria (13) with -phobia as a suffix to indicate “fear”.
In the wake of Halloween, Review speaks to residents on what they think of Friday the 13th…
Phenyo Nanzhelele says to him there is nothing bad about Friday the 13th as he has always had the best of luck on these days. “I get the best marks when I write an exam on Friday the 13th and to me it is only a lucky day,” he says.
Tebogo Mofya likes Fridays because it means that most of the time he can look forward to a trip away for the weekend. “Some Fridays my parents come and fetch me a bit earlier from school to go on trips over the weekend and this makes me very happy,” he says.
For Simangaliso Moila every Friday means good luck and a Friday the 13th is very special. This past Friday the 13th he got the chance to speak to a girl he really likes, which means the day is still his lucky charm. “I never had the chance to speak to her, but on Friday it just came naturally and we had a long conversation,” he smiles.
Ruben Joubert says he loves a Friday as it is the day that comes before the weekend and as soon as Friday arrives, he knows that school work can be forgotten for a while. “I love Fridays, my favourite television show is on and I know I can go to bed later than during the week.”
Isabel Stone says a Friday is a Friday for her, regardless of the date. “I am not a superstitious person and do not have any issues with Friday the 13th.”
Morne Janse van Rensburg says Friday the 13th is just another day to him, but he understands and respects the fact that many people have a phobia or superstitions associated with it. “I believe people should respect each other and their different beliefs, it is what makes us the great nation we are.”
Buks Botha likes to think 13 is a lucky number, and says things can go wrong at anytime, regardless of the day or date.
For Angela de Ponte, Friday the 13th is the worst day in the world. She calls it the “Friday from Hell”. “I do not like the day because something bad always happens to me. Everything will be going fine until that day, then everything that can go wrong will go wrong, the only reason being the date.”
