Friday the 13th: Does luck really exist or is it just a lot of old superstition?

It’s the day of the year when misfortune is supposed to abound. Can we quantify ‘luck,’ asks David Barnett, and if so can we change it?

Should we stay home on Friday the 13th to avoid accidents? (Getty/The Independent)

If you are of a superstitious bent, then today is really not the day for you. Friday the 13th has always traditionally been associated with bad luck and misfortune, and the wary among you would be best advised to stay in bed.

Things to definitely avoid today would include walking under a ladder propped against a wall, stepping on a cracked paving stone, and allowing a black cat to run across your path. If you really must leave the house, then cross your fingers, carry a four-leafed clover, and touch wood at every opportunity.

But why is Friday the 13th such a horror? According to my trusty copy Zolar’s Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens and Superstitions, Fridays in general have always been thought to be the unluckiest of days, and the following activities should be avoided: getting married, sailing, starting a new job, opening a play, cutting your nails, and changing your bed linen.