First things first. The credits for the title What did I learn today must go to Andy. His blog has a section with a very similar name/tag and I couldn't find a more fitting categorization. Going forward, I shall try and post more of what I learn each day to the same category. Andykaka, please treat this imitation as the sincerest form of flattery and let me know if you would like me to change it.
Coming to my learning for the day, is a word - paraskavedekatriaphobia. This entry is very fitting for today. It means the fear of Friday the 13th. The word is a derivation from triskaidekaphobia which means the fear of the number 13.
I was amused to learn that this fear or if you may call it a superstitious belief, existed much wider in geography than just India.
As I surfed more about it, I came across some astonishing details. Here is an interesting snippet courtsey an article on National Geographic.
"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina.
And some remedies.
Folklore offers other remedies, however. One recommendation is to climb to the top of a mountain or skyscraper and burn all the socks you own that have holes in them. Another is to stand on your head and eat a piece of gristle.
For a more detailed read, visit the complete article on National Geographic site.
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