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the 19th century, some 500 years AFTER this event. So, as compelling as the story of the Knights Templar is, it probably had nothing to do with the current superstition.

On a Friday the 13th many people will not do anything important. They will not fly, close a deal or schedule a surgery. Many buildings have no 13th floor. Room or apartment number 13 does not exist. And good luck finding Gate 13 at many airports. Many hundreds of thousands of dollars in business are lost on this day in the United States. A lot of otherwise rational people just don't want to take the chance.

So, the question remains, is Friday the 13th really bad luck? Many people tend to be anxious on this day. Anxious people become more accident-prone (regardless of the day). Accident-prone people have more accidents. In other words, people start this otherwise normal day LOOKING for something bad to happen. And they will interpret even the smallest misfortune as the most horrible bad luck, thus confirming the original fear.

So the answer to the original question is: if you BELIEVE that Friday the 13th is bad luck, it is likely to be bad luck for you. Just like Mom always said, you create your own luck!

http://urbanlegends.about .com/cs/historical/a/friday_th e_13th.htm
http://news.national geographic.com/news/2004/02/02 12_040212_friday13_2.html

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