If you’re superstitious, you probably should’ve stayed in bed.
Not only is today Friday the 13th – a traditionally unlucky day in North American culture – but there’ll be a full moon at night, too. It’s called a “strawberry” or “honey” moon, and the last time it happened was Oct. 13, 2000. It’s been 95 years since the last time it happened in the month of June, and experts don’t expect another strawberry moon until Oct. 13, 2049.
So whether you shy from the number 13, you’ve got an irrational fear of werewolves or that big ol’ moon just makes you a little wacky, Friday is shaping up to be doubly strange.
Oh, and Mercury is in retrograde – an astrological phenomenon that’s said to bungle up whatever long-term plans you’ve got in the works.
Fear of Friday the 13th – called triskaidekaphobia – dates back thousands of years, with roots in a number of different cultural myths. The same goes for selenophobia, or fear of the full moon. Individuals with selenophobia fear that it makes people act in irrational, dangerous ways. The moon actually inspired the Latin root for the word “lunatic,” a term once used for individuals suffering from various forms of madness.
Of course, these phenomena aren’t bad news for everyone. The number 13 is considered lucky in Italian and Asian cultures, and many athletes who’ve worn the number have achieved tremendous success. Hockey legends Mats Sundin and Pavel Datsyuk, basketball greats Wilt Chamberlain and Steve Nash, and football Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino all wore the number 13.
Then again, so did baseball’s Alex Rodriguez, whose otherwise top-notch MLB career has been tarnished by a lengthy suspension for steroid use.
For motorcycle enthusiasts, Friday the 13th means one thing: party. If the weather’s good, bikers flock to Port Dover, Ont. every Friday the 13th to celebrate.
So it’s not all bad news.
But if you’re a triskaidekaphobic astrology buff, there’s a good chance you feel like you’re surrounded by lunatics.
Sorry, because today is not your lucky day.
