Phunny Phobias
If you met someone who was afraid of paper or wax statues, wouldn't you tell them to stop being so ridiculous and get over it? Every Monday, Null editor Hayley hand-picks another bizarre phobia and tries to work out whether it's real or rubbish.
This week:
Paraskavedekatriaphobia: fear of Friday the 13th
Also known as: Friggatriskaidekaphobia
What's so scary about it?
Nobody really knows. The whole idea of Friday 13th being unlucky didn't come about until the 20th century and in Spain and Greece, it's Tuesday 13th. Now this is completely nonsensical when you consider the origin of the word paraskavedekatriaphobia is actually Greek - it means Friday, 13, phobia. Wow, who thought that one up?
What do the scientists say about it?
Silence. Or "hesychia" as they might say in Greece.
Hayley says:
"What have we learned from this? Not a lot. Just a bit of Greek. I suppose if you happen to be very superstitious Friday 13th could be considered a scary day. But then if you were really superstitious, you would have researched this one properly and realised it was just something someone had made up in 1900 for a bit of a laugh and that Friday 13th is no more scary than any other 13th. So we should all be really freaked out once a month. Rubbish."
So far: Real 5 Rubbish 5
Find phunny phobias from other weeks here.
Null's other regular features (more coming soon):
Tuesday: Nutty Nomenclature
Thursday: Peculiar Periodicals
Erratically: The World in Brief
Image: Diego Medrano
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