Friday the 13th

This morning I (reluctantly) woke up to the sound of the breakfast show on the radio discussing the fact that it was Friday the 13th. Somewhat superstitious myself (yes, I throw salt over my shoulder, avoid walking under ladders, look in horror at an umbrella open inside and almost all the time, touch wood) I wondered about Friday the 13th and how it was looked upon in the past. I soon turned to Trove to satisfy my curiosity and found that this ominous date was featured in abundance.

Some people preferred to make light of the superstitions associated with the day.

Others held luncheons in the day’s honour zealously defying the bad luck connected with superstitions.

Amidst all the worry of bad luck, some (such as Mrs Davies from Nedlands) considered the day to be quite auspicious and even had a bout of good luck to show for it!

On a personal level, the number 13 featured prominently within my own Great Grandmother’s life. On the 13th July 1953 a brick wall fell onto the side of the family home. Though the accident actually occurred on a Monday, considering the amount of 13s in her life, I’m sure she wouldn’t have held much joy for the 13th in combination with a Friday.

The above article is extremely similar to an article I previously posted on Finding Family called Lucky Number 13. This one is a little more special though. My Uncle is featured in the top photograph and even my Mum gets a mention. Unfortunately however I do not have the source for this article. It’s an original newspaper article cut out (probably by my Nan) and placed in the family photo album as a keepsake. It is unlabelled, undated and (I think) missing a chunk off the end of it. As yet, I have not found it on Trove.

I also came across this article while searching…

As I read it I couldn’t help but laugh at the words:

But superstition is almost a thing of a bygone age in 1942…

Now in 2012 (70 years since the above article was printed!) Friday the 13th still attracts the same interest as it did in the past. Perhaps articles aren’t printed in the newspapers as often as they were back then (you do however see articles online) but superstitious people still remain a little wary of the date. It made me smile and a quote immediately came to mind:

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Merron from Western District Families very kindly nominated Finding Family for an Illuminating Blogger award. Thank you Merron! Merron is from the Western District of Victoria and writes very interesting posts about the area as well as her own family. Like me, she’s also a big fan of Trove! I especially loved reading her recent post: Misadventures, Deaths and Near Misses. It makes for very interesting reading! Please visit Merron’s blog and have a look around.

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Sources:

• 1953 ‘ARMSTRONG’S COMMENT: “Friday, the 13th, eh!”.’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), 13 February, p. 2, viewed 13 July, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23227538
• 1936 ‘FRIDAY, THE THIRTEENTH.’, The Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1930 – 1956), 24 December, p. 7 Supplement: PICTORIAL, viewed 13 July, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70575696
• 1945 ‘Buys £2000 Ticket On Her ‘Lucky 13th’.’, The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1950), 18 July, p. 1 Edition: CITY FINAL, viewed 13 July, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78785405
• 1942 ‘Friday The 13th.’, Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 – 1954), 13 March, p. 3 Edition: LATEST EDITION, viewed 13 July, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48375890
• The article titled “Wall Crashes on Hay-St Home” was obtained courtesy of my Uncle Wayne.