Does Friday the 13th Freak You Out?

I have a friend who won't get out of bed on Friday the 13th because he's afraid that bad, unlucky things might happen. Think he's weird for hiding?  Me too.

It turns out there are people all over the world with odd superstitions, and it's not just irrational fears about Friday the 13th that get people worked up.

My friend fears things like tripping down the stairs and getting bad laundry stains, and that's why he stays in bed on Friday the 13th.  If you spill blueberries on your white shirt today, do you blame it on Friday the 13th or do you chalk it up to your own clumsiness? I blame my lack of coordination.   And the juicy blueberries.  Man they're good.

Friday the 13th is a great time to look around the world at other superstitions, so we don't feel quite so freaky about our idiosyncrasies.  Do you refuse to walk under ladders?  Do you avoid black cats that are about to cross your path?  That's American stuff.  Check this out.

Here are some odd superstitions from around the globe.

In Turkey, people don't chew gum after dark because they think it will turn into dead flesh.  I guess that cancels out the fresh minty flavor.

In South Korea they think you can die if you sleep with the fan on.  Ladies, if you get chilly at night, use that as the argument against your hubby so he'll leave the fan off. Sounds logical to me.

In Spain on New Year's Eve, they think eating 12 grapes quickly in a row is better luck than kissing someone at midnight.  Now that we can do!  Delicious, healthy, and why the heck not.

In Serbia they pour water behind someone who's headed out on some type of new adventure, whether it's a job interview, a trip, or any sort of journey.  It's said to symbolize fluidity and motion.  And it might look like you peed your pants if it's not done correctly.

Maybe our Friday the 13th superstition isn't so bad.  There are two more of them coming up in 2015 in March and November.  May you have nothing but good luck!