It only happens a few times a year, but today’s one of those:  Friday the 13th.  Many of you reading will think of the horror film series, others will remember Black Sabbath’s debut album that launched on a Friday 13th.  But this isn’t case across much of Europe.  Consider these other European supersitions:

• In Spain, it is Tuesday the 13th that is to be taken with caution. It’s called Martes 13 and many Spainards avoid travel on this day.  There isn’t a strong link with any historical events for this, so it’s just a myth.
• In Italy, it is Friday the 17th.  Similar to some American skyscrapers, in Italy the number 17 is avoided when possible.  And while us anglophones may ‘touch wood’ to combat superstition, in Italy the expression is ‘touch metal.’  (I would have figured it would have been the opposite.  Go figure.)
• In Greece, the fall of Constantinople was on a Tuesday.  So every Tuesday is unlucky there!

What are your Friday the 13th (or its equivalent) superstitions?

Photo by dawn