WHO SAYS FRIDAY THE 13TH IS UNLUCKY?
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On Friday the 13th* of October 1922, the Evening Star states...
"Today is regarded by the superstitious as unlucky. One is supposed to be run over by automobiles, trip over curbs, lose one's money, fall down the stairs, and fall out of bed..."
In a front page column, the Star opines that the number 13 is no different from any other number and that Friday...
"is just about like any other day. This particular Friday, October 13, is one of the most beautiful days ever experienced in the National Capital. Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky?"
*According to CNN, the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th "is a Victorian invention." It was the 1907 novel titled "Friday the 13th" by Thomas W. Lawson that got the ball rolling.
JFK+50 COMMENT
It was Friday the 13th in the Fall of 1978. We had a new customized van and decided to take the day off from work and head east on Interstate 40 to enjoy the weekend in western North Carolina.
We were in the center lane of the 3 lane interstate driving at the speed limit when I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw another van about to rear end us. I jerked the steering wheel to the left & he must have jerked his to the right at the last second and impacted the spare tire on the back of our van. The impact pushed us forward but I was able to maintain control and pull off to the side.
The van that hit us ran off the road to the right, rolled over and landed upside down. We learned later that the driver was drunk. We were very "lucky" to escape injury although our van sustained damage and was never the same as before. The drunk driver did survive. Obviously, our mini vacation came to an end and we returned home.
It was a Friday the 13th we would never forget and the lesson for us was to not plan any future vacation trips on that date.
SOURCES
"Friday The 13th Brings No Jinx To Capital City," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., October 13, 1922, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
"Why is Friday the Thirteenth unlucky? The cultural origins of an enduring superstition, by Christobel Hastings, CNN Style, August 12, 2021, www.cnn.com/
