UAE | General
Believers tend to be careful on Friday the 13th
Watch out for black cats, don't walk under ladders and don't spill the salt. Most superstitions were given extra attention yesterday - Friday the 13th - as it is the day supposedly associated with bad luck.
- By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:01 June 14, 2008
- Image Credit:
- Friday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck in English, French and Portuguese-speaking countries around the world, as well as in Scandinavian countries.
Dubai: Watch out for black cats, don't walk under ladders and don't spill the salt. Most superstitions were given extra attention yesterday - Friday the 13th - as it is the day supposedly associated with bad luck.
Friday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck in English, French and Portuguese-speaking countries around the world, as well as in Scandinavian countries.
Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions such as in Greece, Romania and Spanish-speaking countries where Tuesday 13 is considered unlucky. In Italy, it is Friday 17.
In some countries, high-rises do not have a 13th floor, many airports skip the 13th gate, and hospitals and hotels regularly have no room numbered 13.
Stay indoors
"I believe that it is a day of bad luck. Most Filipinos prefer to stay indoors and do not want to leave the house in case an accident happens," said Janice Odasco, a resident.
"The lucky day for me is Wednesday because I believe that something good has to come out from that day, but having a lucky day varies from person to person," said the 23-year-old Catholic from the Philippines.
Mylenne Codandabany, 30, is from France and is a practising Hindu. She believes that Friday 13 is actually a lucky day.
"Some people may believe in [it being an unlucky day] but I am used to Friday 13 in being a lucky day. Growing up in France, it used to be common to see people trying their luck in raffles and in buying lottery tickets. I used to try my luck on that day sometimes too, with a scratch, and win coupon," she said.
Maysa Abdullah, a 25-year-old UAE national, said it is an ordinary day and is a superstition followed by Western societies. "But I would think twice if I crossed a black cat on Friday 13," she said.
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