Friday the 13th- lucky or unlucky?

Today is Friday the 13th — a day when many people refuse to travel, invest in the stock market or gamble.

There are documented cases of paraskevidekatriaphobics, people who have an actual phobia of Friday the 13th.

It's an old idea carried over from Europe. It's only superstitious if you believe it. Friday the 13^th is a myth. It is supposed to be bad only for the westerners and does not apply to Indians, especially for Hindus, this time of year- the end of ashada and the beginning of shravana - is apparently very auspicious.

It’s basically an ordinary day but some people believe it is a day of bad luck.It has nothing to do with the day but whether or not they believe something might happen — if you think it’s a lucky day, and you’re positive it’s likely to turn out positively, whereas a negative outlook may result in a negative day.

Don’t be frightened by a day or let people put crazy notions that something negative is going to happen to you.Unfortunately however when we focus on the challenges of anything including the generalization of ‘bad luck,’ we can easily forget to appreciate the positive. “Fear is often the underlying emotion that interferes with one’s ability to enjoy life.”

For those who struggle with fears such as bad luck on Friday the 13th, they should try to reflect on the source of their fear.