Odd - Interesting - Bizzare - Strange

For those afflicted with friggatriskaidekaphobia, it's going to be the worst day of the year. But, take heart, for in 2011, only one day of sweaty palms, jumpy nerves and other assorted angst-driven stuff will have to be endured.

The aforementioned malady is fear of Friday the 13th, a day that has been dreaded for its reputation for generating bad luck all over the world for centuries. It's been called the most prevalent superstition in the United States.

Take a look at the number 13. It's just not a likeable number like 4, 7 or 22; bad vibes emanate from it. No wonder many tall office buildings and residences don't have a 13th floor. In professional sports, the 13 is considered an oddball number to wear (though it's a good bet that many who do consider it a "counterculture" act), and there are probably a few teams that refuse to issue it. However, it worked out for Wilt Chamberlain, Alex Rodriguez and Kurt Warner.

Folks have been known to stay home from work, not leave their homes, not fly, not eat out and bypass many generally normal activities on Friday the 13th. Of course, it's not a coincidence that the horror movie franchise carried that name. "Monday the 7th" just doesn't issue the same juice in terms of being scary.

Number 13 has been associated with bad luck since the time of Christ, when the Last Supper was held by Jesus and his 12 apostles. Judas the betrayer? He was the 13th member of the party, sullying that number's reputation forever.

How did Friday join force with the 13th in this ghastly picture? It's not quite clear, but one theory is that it was on that day in the Garden of Eden that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. Other events, such as the Temple of Solomon being destroyed, the crucifixion of Christ and the Great Flood, happen to occur on a Friday. This was also Hangman's Day in Britain and execution day in Pagan Rome.

So much for "Thank God It's Friday.''

A 1993 study in the British Medical Journal was called "Is Friday the 13th Bad for Your Health?" The study said that the ratio of car accidents on Friday the 13th was higher than on Friday the 6th, even though fewer people drove on the former day, fearing for their well-being. "Friday the 13th is unlucky for some,'' the study said. "The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended.''

Where will the San Diego Padres be on Friday the 13th? At some point, they will board the team bus en route to their game against the Colorado Rockies in Denver, transport accident possibilities be damned. For the record, the Padres do have a player who wears No.13, outfielder Chris Denorfia.

So, maybe the Padres aren't scaredy cats, but there are plenty of passengers on the anti-Friday the 13th bus. And it's not just the wacky British get all bent out of joint on this dreaded day.

Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, NC, once said, "It's been estimated that $800-900 million is lost in (American) business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do.''

Dossey has estimated that between 17-21 million Americans are stricken with Friday the 13th phobia. And through all this fear, gloom, doom and paranoia, more bad news: Yes, this is the only Friday the 13th of the year, but there will be three such occurrences next year and two in 2013. The last time there were three in a year was 2009.

As a way to give number 13 some positive public relations, eliminating the Friday the 13th stigma in the process, several hundred people formed The Thirteen Club, which eventually included five US Presidents as honorary members. That was in 1881, so it obviously it didn't work. To this day, friggatriskaidekaphobia just hasn't gone away.