Happy Friday the 13th

In celebration of every spooky kid’s favorite 13th day of the year, here are a few Friday the 13th factoids for your reading pleasure.

*Any month’s 13th day will fall on a Friday if the month starts on a Sunday

*Joss Whedon’s show Dollhouse aired its pilot on February 13, 2009 which obviously proved to be unlucky for him.

*There is a superstition, thought to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.

*There will be a sequel to the Platinum Dunes produced Friday the 13th remake. This will be the 13th film in the franchise and is going to be filmed in 3D. Look for it in theaters August 13, 2010.

*Victor Miller, the original Friday the 13th writer, had originally given Jason the name of Josh. After deciding that it sounded too nice, he changed it to Jason after a school bully.

*Saturday the 14th was released in 1981 and is a spoof off the Friday the 13th film title but also a spoof on the horror/monster genre in general.

*More than 80% of highrises lack a 13th floor; Most airports skip the 13th gate; Many cities don’t have a 13th Street or Avenue; Hospitals and hotels often have no room number 13.

*Many attribute Thomas W. Lawson’s 1907 book Friday, the Thirteenth for making the unlucky number popular. In the book, an underhanded stockbroker orchestrates a panic on Wall Street by preying on people’s superstitious beliefs.

*Bikers have a Friday the 13th tradition. Check out the video below.