Also spelled
paraskavedekatriaphobia, it is the abnormal and unwarranted fear or dislike of, and/or aversion to
Friday the 13th.
The term is derived from
triskaidekaphobia, the
fear of the number 13, which comes from the
Greek "
tris" (three), "
kai" (and), "
deka" (ten) and "
phobos" (fear).
"
Paraskavedekatriaphobia" was coined by
Dr. Donald Dossey, a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of
phobias.
Some sufferers of the phobia live with the dread of an approaching Friday the 13th
hanging over them all the time. Others only experience
the effects of the phobia shortly before and during Friday the 13th. The effects of the phobia (as with most phobias) range from a mild feeling of discomfort or stress to panic attacks and other physical manifestations like shortness of breath. It's believed 5-7% of Americans experience
paraskavedekatriaphobia to some degree.
In
Greece, the phobia is related to
Tuesday the 13th, as
Tuesday is considered to be the most unlucky day.
The phobia is also known as
friggatriskaidekaphobia, after the goddess
Frigga of
Nordic mythology.
Sources
www.drdossey.com
http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th.htm
www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?PhobiaID=1757&SDID=557