Tag: Friday the 13th

With only one Friday the 13^th to absorb all the bad luck this year you might be thinking it’s going to be one of the worst bad luck days in recorded history, and you might be right. Here at Thrillvania Haunted House in Dallas we’re definitely gearing up for a real maelstrom and you should, too.   Since Lucky Number 7 is about as far away from the Unlucky 13 as you can get, here are 7 things you can do to help keep bad luck at bay.

Get up on the right side of bed

The right side, not the left. If you can’t get up on the right side of your bed because it’s up against the wall, then sleep with your head at the foot of the bed on the night of Thursday the 12^th.

Count your blessings

If you’re just naturally a worry wart or a Debbie Downer it won’t take much to make it seem like all the bad luck Friday the 13^th has to offer is aimed in your direction. Start the day off by counting your blessings and if you do happen to spill you coffee all over your new suit you’ll realize it’s not the end of the world.

Carry your Good Luck charm

Put a lucky penny in your shoe, grab your lucky rabbit’s foot and pull on your lucky socks. Sometimes all it takes to avoid bad luck is the belief that you’re protected and it can’t touch you.

Think positive thoughts

Instead of focusing on all the bad things that happen on Friday the 13^th, thumb your nose at the day and think nothing but positive thoughts. We’re more alert and less prone to accidents when we’re in a happy mood.

Demystify the day

Do some research to learn more about Friday the 13^th and why it has such a bad reputation. It might surprise you to know it’s all based on centuries-old myths and legends with no basis in fact, whatsoever. It might also surprise you to know that if you parents had never told you Friday the 13^th was a “bad” day, it would be just another day of the year.

Tempt Fate

Go ahead, tempt Fate today.  Buy a lottery ticket, apply for a loan, step on a crack, break a mirror, walk under a ladder and cross paths with a black cat.    It’s a proven fact that when you stand up to the bully he usually leaves you alone.

Visit a haunted house

What better way to cap off one of the scariest days of the year than by visiting a haunted house? Our friends at Cutting Edge Haunted House are hosting a special Friday the 13^th Event and you’re invited to join us as we tempt Fate on the unluckiest day of the year.

Now that you we’ve given you a few tips to help improve your luck on this, the most unfortunate day of the year, read our list of 13 things you should avoid like the plague.

If you just can’t bear the thought of coming out from under the covers on Friday the 13^th, then plan to join us at Thrillvania Haunted House Park in Dallas this fall as we usher in the Halloween Season. We’re located at 2330 County Road 138, Terrell, TX 75161. Contact us at 972-428-9653 for our Fall schedule or bookmark our Schedule page.

Of course, we know why people fear the haunted house at Thrillvania in DFW. We’ve packed it full of every monstrous terror you can imagine. But why do so many people fear the number 13? After all, it’s just two tiny little digits and they don’t even amount to much. Or do they?

In a survey conducted in 2003 by the Stress management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, 2,068 people were questioned and 25% of them firmly associated the number 13 with bad luck.

These people also were more likely to experience high levels of anxiety on days like Friday the 13^th and that anxiety made them more prone to accidents, thus increasing their anxiety even more and cementing their belief that bad things always happen on the 13^th – especially if it’s a Friday.

But why, in this modern world of smartphones, HDTV and world-wide Internet access, do we still have this unholy fear of the number 13? Certainly we’ve advanced to the point where we no longer allow superstition to rule our lives, haven’t we?

Centuries ago, we developed triskaidekaphobia, an extreme superstition regarding the number 13, based on Christian teachings. That silly, two-digit number was to be feared because there were 13 months in the pagan calendar and those who practiced paganism were destined for Hell. Thirteen was also an unholy number because there were 12 witches in a coven and the 13^th person was the devil.

According to mathematicians, the number 13 is “incomplete” and “restless or squirmy” because it comes after the number 12. Think about it. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs in the zodiac, 12 eggs in a carton and Jesus had 12 apostles. When we think “12” we think “complete.” When we think “13” we think odd or strange.

These days, people don’t fear the number 13 because they’re afraid of witches or the devil or curses. We learn to fear that silly two-digit number at an early age when our parents and friends tell us that it’s supposed to be an unlucky number, so we lie awake at night, anticipating an untimely death on Friday the 13th.

In fact, this fear of the number 13 is still so strong that more than 80 percent of high-rise buildings don’t have a 13^th floor. Many hospitals and hotels still don’t have a room number 13, and airports still skip over gate 13.

Of course, there are those who thumb their noses at the number 13 and can’t wait for something bad to happen on Friday the 13^th so they can poke fun at the office triskaidekaphobe. We’re in their camp and we hope nobody every breaks this 13-link chain of fear. After all, that’s what Thrillvania’s all about.

If you’re with us, and you’re brave enough to come out from under the covers, we invite you to join us at Cutting Edge Haunted House on Friday, June 13, 2014. Listed in the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Largest Walk Through Haunted House” you definitely don’t want to miss their special Friday the 13^th Event!

And don’t forget to start planning your annual trek to Thrillvania Haunted House Park. Located at 2330 County Road 138, Terrell, TX 75161. Contact us at 972-428-9653 for our Fall schedule or bookmark our Schedule page.