The Unluckiest Day of the Year

"Friday the 13Th is an unlucky day in much of Western Europe, North America, and Australia. Many people avoid travel and avoid signing contracts on Friday the 13Th. Floors in tall buildings often skip from 12 to 14. And while the superstition is believed to be fading, it nonetheless has deep roots in both Christian and pagan culture." - infoplease.com

I can tell you for a fact that at The Peabody Hotel we do not have the number thirteen imprinted anywhere in the elevator. Although if you were to count the floors as you traveled up from the grand lobby to the top you would find that a bit odd. In fact if you were to count all of the floors you can reach on the main elevators you would come up with 14. We do in fact have a thirteenth floor, but they just do not label it as such. To get to the thirteenth floor you must press "S" which stands for "Skyway." Unless you happen to take the stairs, if so, when you reach the skyway you are greeted with a large 13 on the inside of the door. In fact most hotels to this day will not print the unlucky digits anywhere in the hotel. Which is where Stephen King got his idea for 1408. All about a room on the "mislabeled" 13Th floor whose numbers 14 + 08 equal up to YOU GUESSED IT, 13. A DOUBLE WHAMMY! LOL

When you go into our hotels history you can read all about psychics and mediums that used to hold regular conferences in Memphis, at the Peabody, on the "Skyway." I guess it was the appropriate place to hold the meetings considering the superstition.

People all over the world hang on to old superstitions regarding the date. Some say it started with the death of Christ which we remember on Friday, and others claim that it originated in pagan circles with the tale of Loki the Norse god of mischief. It seems Loki crashed a banquet that was set for 12 other gods that he was not invited to. In short he retaliated by causing the death of Balder the god of light.

No matter how you look at it; Friday the 13 is still regarded as a day of misfortune and unhappiness by millions. In fact Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the technical term given to people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of the day. For those who truly have a fear of this day; 2009 promises to be a very stressful year indeed, being that there are three separate "Friday the 13Th's" this year.

Despite my superstitious nature, I do not hold any reservations about this day. Although it is a date I observe as a chance to watch some of my most favorite horror movies that just so happen to share the same name, which are at this moment sitting on top[ of the DVD player "ready to go!" The celebration officially began earlier today when I attended the opening day matinee of the re imagining of the Friday the 13Th franchise. IT WAS GREAT! And I am not one for remakes, mind you. But this shed a whole new light on the mythology behind Jason and his home in Crystal Lake. It kept us (quite literally) on the edge of our seats. It had a SERIOUS "Boo" factor, and made me jump an innumerable amount of times. In fact at times it seemed a bit much to take, and this is coming from a man who REVELS in horror movies. I give it two thumbs up!

So Break out the VCR, pop up some microwave popcorn, and revisit the classic horror franchise that helped redefine the genre. I know I will!

Peace, Love, and Lucky Rabbits Feet to you all!
Justin