Friday the 13th

Today is Friday June 13th.
Yes, that’s right. Friday. The. 13th.
The only one for the year 2014.  The last time this happened was in 2011.  While some years will only have 1 Friday the 13th, others can have up to three, depending on the way the calendar falls.
Officially, fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia, a combination of the Norse goddess Frigga (whom Friday is named after) and triskaidekaphobia (a fear of the number 13).  For those of you who do, in fact, fear the day – or at least view it with some trepidation – you are not alone.  It is believed that between 17 and 21 million people in the United States fear Friday the 13th.
The social fear is so great that not only do people not travel on this date, but hotels routinely skip the number 13 on their elevators and some cities will jump from 12th Street to 14th Street.
Not all superstitions are bad, though.  Some people swear that 13 is a lucky number and one British couple won $17-million after purchasing a lottery ticket on Friday the 13th.
Friday the 13th is not the only thing happening today, it is also a full moon.  And it’s a Honey Moon, to boot!  This happens when the sun’s path across the sky is at it’s highest and the moon’s is at it’s lowest.  This keeps the moon closer to the horizon.  Combined with the reflection of the sun’s light, this gives the moon and amber colored glow and makes it appear larger and more full than other times of the year.  It will be at it’s brightest and most visible in the early evening hours.
According to the Universe Today website, the last time the Honey Moon fell on a Friday the 13th was back in 1919.  You had better see it today, the next time this combination comes around won’t be until 2098.  I, for one, am planning on seeing it this time, or else I would have to live to be 118 years old to see the next one!
It is also reported that several solar flares occurred earlier this week and the shock wave is expected to hit the Earth tomorrow.
Now, I’m not a superstitious person.  I like the number 13, I think the poor number gets a bad rap.  And thanks to Jim Butcher and his Dresden Files series, I prefer to believe the number 13 disrupts negative energy and creates a more positively charged environment.
But I have to admit with all this celestial activity going on it will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens.  I don’t know about you, but I’ll be buying my lotto tickets today!
 
If you want more information about the history and superstition about the day, check out this National Geographic article.