Friday the 13th Superstitions: Are Triskaidekaphobia and Friggatriskaidekaphobia Real?

By: David W Freeman
Topics: News ,; Mental Health

Friday the 13th the movie was pretty scary. Is the real day just as bad? (Paramount)

(CBS) Friggatriskaidekaphobia sounds naughty, but it's simply the word psychologists use to describe one of the most widely held superstitions:

Fear of Friday the 13th, a.k.a "Black Friday."

Friggatriskaidekaphobics worry that bad things could befall them each time the thirteenth day of the month lands on a Friday, as it does today and up to three times each year.

Those who fear the number 13 every other day of the month are said to have triskaidekaphobia.

The scant evidence on the topic seems to indicate that Friday the 13th is no more dangerous than any other day of the year.

Consider car accidents. In 2004, scientists at the University of Helsinki looked at accident statistics and determined that fatal car accidents were not more common on Friday the 13th.

"There were no significant differences in any examined aspect of road injury accidents among the three Fridays, either in females or males," the researchers concluded.

The scientists' study was published in the November 2004 issue of the journal "BMC Public Health."

What other strange phobias are out there?

16 Photos

16 Weirdest Phobias

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by checheR August 17, 2010 1:10 AM EDT: Friday is Frigga's Day. Frigga (Frigg) was an ancient Scandinavian fertility and love goddess, equivalent to the Roman Venus who had been worshipped on the sixth day of the week. The 13th day of a month landing on a Friday can be a quite rare circumstance. Even though there isn?t any reason to be worried about it, many get scared and it?s called <a title="Are you a Friggatriskaidekaphobia? Scared of the 13th being on a Friday" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2010/08/13/friggatriskaidekaphobia-friday-the-13th/">Friggatriskaidekaphobia</a>. Granted, most black cats won't do anything more harmful than shed or do that annoying thing with their paws. Regardless, people do indulge in their superstitions. You are a Friggatriskaidekaphobia for those who have a fear of the 13th on a Friday. Jason Voorhees won?t appear, even if you say the word in the mirror three times.; Reply to this comment


by tsigili August 13, 2010 2:20 PM EDT: If you go back far enough, you will likely find where it started. Many of these long standing beliefs came from actual events, in history.; Reply to this comment