If you donβt know what that is, I canβt say as I blame you. If I were a smart aleck, I might βexplainβ that paraskevidekatriaphobia is a derivation ofΒ triskaidekaphobia, but that would probably leave most of our readers just as befuddled. But the latter isΒ the fear of the number thirteen, and the former refers to the more specific phobia ofΒ fear ofΒ Friday the 13th.
Before you start thinking that people with these phobias should just grow up and get over it, you might want to consider how society itself contributes to this fear. Youβve never stepped off the elevator on to the thirteenth floor of a tall building, simply because the highly educated architects that design our skyscrapers superstitiously refuse to include one.
The effects of paraskevidekatriaphobia are claimed to be extensive. Since many Americans refuse to fly or conduct business on a Friday the 13th, it is said the economy suffers an estimated 800 million dollar loss every time this date rolls around. Back in the 1930s, the influence of this phobia even reached the highest office in our land, as FDR refused to travelΒ on Friday the 13th.
It may surprise you to learn that the origin of this phobia finds its roots in the Bible, when thirteen men observed the last supper. One was a traitor, and tradition (wrongly) holds that the Lord was crucified a few hours later on aΒ Friday.
Whatβs the cure for paraskevidekatriaphobia? An old joke says if you can pronounce the word, youβre cured! In 1913, a pastor tried to cure people by officiating at Friday the 13th weddings without charge. But a better way to help people overcome this superstition is to do what Paul did when he encountered some superstitious people (Acts 17:22) and preach the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Acts 17:23-31). The world considers Paulβs gospel to be superstition (Acts 25:19), βbut unto us which are saved it is the power of Godβ (1 Cor.Β 1:18). Paulβs use of the present tense here shows his gospel is more than just βthe power of God unto salvationβ (Rom.Β 1:16). Once we are saved, his gospel βisβΒ stillΒ the power of God to help us overcome βthe spirit of fearβ with the spirit βofβ¦a sound mindβ (2 Tim. 1:7), a mind made sound by a full knowledge of Paulβs gospel (Acts 20:24). source
