It’s not completely obvious as to why people are so afraid of this specific day and date combination . Some historians believe that superstitions stem from the 19th century where some of the earliest freaky Friday happenings were discovered, some of which include the death of an Italian composer named Gioachino Rossini and to further instil the superstition, an American businessman wrote a whole book about Friday the 13th.
Although we don’t really know why Friday the 13th has been labelled the day of misfortune, people fear it so much so that the phobia actually has a name!
Meet Friggatriskaidekaphobia and Paraskevidekatriaphobia and try saying it 10 times, quickly. No, I didn’t just throw random letters together and add –phobia at the end, I’ve got receipts, too.
Friggatriskaidekaphobia comes from Frigg, the Norse goddess of wisdom after whom Friday is named, and the Greek words triskaideka, meaning 13, and phobia, meaning fear. Paraskevidekatriaphobia, also Greek: paraskeví translates as Friday, and dekatria is another way of saying 13.
These phobias are so common and so real that many buildings, hotels, and hospitals skip the 13th floor and some airports do not even have gates numbered 13!
Although this day has such an unlucky reputation, not everyone avoids the outdoors fearing for their safety. For Italy, Friday the 17th is considered to be a bad luck day and in many Spanish speaking countries and in Greece, Tuesday the 13th is seen as a day of misfortune while Finland dedicates one Friday the 13th of every year to raise awareness about safety on the roads, at home, and at the workplace and it’s called National Accident Day (not even joking).
So now that you have a little bit of knowledge of the day, let’s pick out something to wear for work to help with those what to wear thoughts.
If you want to keep into the moody spirit of the day, opt for something reminiscent of your emo days, but with a grown up touch.
Friday the 13th for Ladies
Friday the 13th for Men’s
Cheer up the day by being a breath of fresh air in a light colour palette.
