Friday the 13th: Fess Up on Superstitions

There’s a common superstition in the news business.

You must NEVER say these friendly words to a colleague covering the weekend shift: “Hope it’s a quiet one for you.”

Uttering the word “quiet” next to the word “weekend shift” inevitably means there will be , police will on the beltway and/or at Walmart.

And yes, I feel freaked out just writing the words down now.

It is almost the weekend, after all. And, frighteningly — oh dear — it's Friday the 13th.

The belief that Friday the 13th brings bad karma comes from long-standing tradition that the sixth day of the week and the number 13 are bad luck enough, so combining them can't be good.

Some research has shown that just the fear of bad things happening on Friday the 13th means more bad things do happen on Friday the 13th. One study apparently showed there were more hospitalizations on the day.

According to urbanlegends.com, there's a name for those of us with an irrational fear of Friday the 13th: paraskevidekatriaphobics. Have just a run-of-the-mill fear of the day? You might have friggatriskaidekaphobia.

Apparently it all started in the 19th century. In Spanish-speaking countries, the paranoia is focused on Tuesdays.

We could go on.

But, instead, let's poke fun at people and their irrational fears.

We'll start.

Below, we're asking residents to share their superstitions.

Is it black cats, spiders—something special you do before each plane ride to ensure a safe flight? What are your top superstitions? How are you handling the pressure today?