Does the thought of Friday the 13th make you extra jumpy today? Are you reading this in your pajamas, too scared to leave your room? If so, you may suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia, or fear of Friday the 13th.
On their own, Friday and the number 13 have been considered unlucky for centuries, before combining later to create the superstitious significance it has today. Friday has been viewed as an ominous day at least since the time of the publication of “The Canterbury Tales,” also coinciding with Jesus’ crucifixion, according to Christian belief.
As for the number 13, it is seen to upset the numerological balance of the number 12, seen everywhere from the 12 hours on the clock, to the 12 apostles at the Last Supper and the 12 gods of Olympus. As a result, many buildings skip over the 13th floor, moving straight from the 12th to the 14th, and some believe that if 13 people sit at a table together, one of them will die.
In honor of this, the unluckiest of days (with another next month, as well as one in November this year), we asked students: are you superstitious?
 | Yes, I wear lucky boxers before a test. – Andrew Wu, Weinberg junior | |
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Yeah, kind of. When the clock turns 11:11, I make a wish. – Allison Bream, SESP junior |  | |
 | I don’t think I’m superstitious. – Amanda Kahn, Communication junior | |
| The only ones I have are sports-related. I root for University of Connecticut basketball. I used to wear certain clothes to help them win, but it doesn’t really help. Inevitably, they would eventually lose. – Jeanna Fazzalaro, sophomore in School of Continuing Studies |  | |
 | I’m a little superstitious by American standards. I believe that the more I keep my room tidy, the more my life will be organized. – Mert Iseri, McCormick sophomore | |
| I’m sometimes afraid of traveling on Friday the 13th, but I think those things happen because they’re predetermined to. I think if something bad happens on Friday the 13th, you’re going to blame it on that, but bad things happen every day. – Jean Montano, Medill freshman |  | |