Very superstitious THIS IS A BAD WEEK for people suffering from triskaidekaphobia. No, this wasn't a cheap way to toss up a seven-syllable word, though how often does that happen? I could just as well have said "fear of the number 13," which, incidentally, also contains seven syllables.
Tales about Friday and 13
Cower before the TV By Dave Donnelly
come together in a day
that may alarm some
Star-BulletinTime magazine listed triskaidekaphobia in its seemingly exhaustive list of phobias in its April 2 edition. But the magazine failed to include paraskavedekatriaphobia. That's the fear of Friday the 13th, which, in case you hadn't noticed, is today. Maybe Time stood still, or Time staffers got lazy and didn't know about the "Friday the 13th" phenomenon. Or, just maybe, the Time people were rife with hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. That's the fear of long words.
To some people, 13 isn't all that bad. Jewish boys become men when they turn 13 and celebrate with a bar mitzvah. And if those catering an affair get lucky, they'll get a baker's dozen, 13, in their order of whatever. And didn't 13 colonies begin this great union known as the United States?Still, Friday, despite being the final day of most people's workweeks, continues to have nasty connotations, particularly among Bible readers.
They insist the Bible tells them Eve gave the apple to Adam on a Friday (they had calendars then?), the great flood began on a Friday, the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday, and of course Good Friday -- also today -- exists because it's the reported day of Jesus' crucifixion.
The 13th Apostle was Judas Iscariot, and hostesses even today are reluctant to seat 13 at a table, as was done at the Last Supper.
And who could forget the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, which was launched at 1313 hours (Central time), from Pad 39 (the third multiple of 13) and had to be aborted on April 13, 1970?
And the less said about all those horror (and horrible) films about the ghoulish Jason called "Friday the 13th," the better.
Friday is believed to have derived from the Norse goddess of marriage, Frigg. This spirit later was confused with Freya, the goddess of love, who was later banished to the mountains as a witch.
When this banished goddess met with 12 witches each Friday, it came to be known as witches' Sabbath, and people far and wide feared it.
Because of this, some today call the fear of Friday the 13th "friggariskaidekaphobia." And some people today still fear it, though they haven't a clue why.
"Do you like scary movies?" is the question the killer asks Sydney, the main character in "Scream." What better time to explore the unknown and scare yourself silly than Friday the 13th. The following is a list of scary films, gleaned from a poll of university types. Friday the 13th a
By Charlene Anne Rico
good night to cower
and scream in front
of the TV
Star-BulletinIn no particular order, each one holds a different type of fright. So grab a group of your friends, make some popcorn, turn out the lights, and get ready to scream until you're hoarse or deaf.
1. "The Blair Witch Project"
"Even though it was a hoax, I still couldn't sleep for three days straight after I saw it." -- Alicia Michioka, 22
2. "Psycho," the original
After seeing this one, you may not be able to take showers ever again.
3. "The Shining"
"Jack Nicholson was unbelievable. Well, actually, he was believable." -- Craig Ramos, 24
4. "Alien 2"
"Star Trek" groupies and space travelers, be very afraid. These aliens are not friendly at all.
5. "The Exorcist"
"This movie is so freaky. If you haven't seen it, DON'T. You'll have bad dreams for so long. It is so real." -- Princeton Gapos, 23
6. "Fargo"
This movie is about a group of people in small-town Minnesota gone bad. Enough said.
7. "Silence of the Lambs"
Anthony Hopkins plays a psycho killer who eats people for kicks. Ew.
8. "The Devils"
"This movie is disturbing. It's about how fanatics manage to kill people with good intentions." -- Larry LeDoux, Hawaii Pacific University
9. "Candy Man 2"
The title alone is enough to frighten anyone.
10. "The Sixth Sense"
A small boy has the ability to see dead people. A psychiatrist, played by Bruce Willis, tries to help the boy. With a surprising twist at the end, this movie is guaranteed to give everyone chicken skin.
11. "Night of the Living Dead"
Dead people dig themselves out of their graves and terrorize a small town by eating people's brains for food. It's best not to eat before watching this.
12. "The Lost Boys"
A group of boys go batty (pun intended) when they delve into the world of vampires and bloodsucking.
13. "Nightmare on Elm Street"
The original scary, most disgusting-looking villain, Freddy Krueger, and his evil laugh.
14. "Halloween"
Michael Myers cavorts around the neighborhood piling up bodies to the now-infamous piano tune.
15. "Friday the 13th"
In honor of the big day. There are so many sequels to this film it's almost ridiculous, but the first few are sure to render an occasional scream.
16. "Kiss the Girls"
This is every woman's nightmare. A psycho rapist kidnaps women, dresses them up for his pleasure, keeps them in an underground cave and abuses them.
17. "Shadow of the Vampire"
Based on the making of the bloodsucking classic "Nosferatu," this movie will leave you feeling disturbed and grossed out.
18. "The Birds"
One of Alfred Hitchcock's more famous films, this is about a group of avians gone mad. The 3-D version will have you crouching in your seat and covering your head while screaming at the top of your lungs.
19. "The Haunting" (1999)
A group of insomniacs are locked in a haunted house. The one to make it out alive wins a prize. You'll be guessing about the outcome throughout the film, which has a twist at the end.
20. "Carrie"
An enraged prom queen takes revenge on her school. With lots of blood and gore, it'll bring back fond memories of your own high school days.
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