Friday the 13th: Auspicious or Ominous?
For whatever reason, the number 13 carries many negative connotations, and after the popularization of the horror flick, Friday the 13th, the ominous vibes surrounding that number were cemented. Al Gore conceded defeat in presidential election to G.W. Bush on December 13th. Tupac Shakur dies of gunshot wounds on Friday the 13th of September, 1996. Natural disasters, acts of war, you name it, bad things happen on Friday the 13th.
But, I personally love the number 13. Once in a blue moon, we have a 13th full moon. Jesus and the twelve disciples add up to 13. Taylor Swift was born on December 13th, and as Martha Stewart would say, “That’s a good thing.” A baker’s dozen is 12 +1, and for those of us who love carbs, again, this is a good thing. In Judaism, 13 is the age when a boy becomes a man. And Friday, 13 December, 2019, the ISD vacation begins, promptly at 3:25pm. What’s not to love about the number 13?
A reclaiming of the number 13 needs to happen. Let’s celebrate 13! Let’s plan for a day of joy and positivity. And what better place to start than with literature? Yes, the librarian will recommend books. Again. So here is a collection of books with the number 13 in the title.
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who
Changed the World
The Lottery Winners of Classroom 13
by Honest Lee
The Thirteen Treasures and the Thirteen Curses
by Michelle Harrison
Thirteen and Thirteen Plus One
by Lauren Myracle
Creepella Von Cacklefur: The Thirteen Ghosts
By Geronimo Stilton
The Secrets of Platform 13
by Eva Ibbotson
