Friday the 13th - Are You Superstitious?

So it's Friday the 13th, a day a lot of us normally rational and straight thinking people fear for inexplicable reasons. Did you know there is even a name for it? Triskaidekaphobia - extreme superstition regarding the number thirteen. I have to admit I have always been wary of the date, I find myself driving more cautiously and watching out even more than usual for any potential dangers in our surroundings. It got me thinking why, and how a date and day combination can have such a crazy effect on a person's actions and thoughts.

I came across an interesting study commissioned by Gregory Tatton-Brown from Casumo.com which found that one in six adults believe Friday the 13th poses the greatest risk of bad luck striking and consider it unluckier than black cats, broken mirrors and spilled salt. Brits believe they have fallen foul of a bad omen at one time or another in their lives with 42 per cent shattering a mirror and two in five having had a black cat cross their path. Almost one third have brought bad luck upon themselves by opening an umbrella indoors and 39 per cent have risked walking under stroll a ladder.

So how did I fare today? On the whole I think I have escaped pretty lightly with a few minor incidents that to be honest could have happened on any day. First there was the whole exploding confetti balloon thanks to Tuco the chihuahua who playfully pop it with his teeth and scared me half to death with it's loud bang.

Then there was the moment when my poor 4 year old Zachary got home from school and I realised his shoes had been on the wrong feet all day, the only way I could have missed that was the weird forces that come into play on Friday the 13th surely?

Finally I managed to step in dog poo while walking through the leaves on our afternoon Pokemon hunt in the park. On the whole I think I escaped pretty lightly so far, although the day isn't over yet...
So how about you? Have you fallen foul of the Friday the 13th curse?