If you’re afraid of Friday the 13th, you’re not alone. Several media outlets report it as the most feared day in history.
People in the haunting industry, like Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, who owns four haunted houses in Kansas City, said many people do not want to leave their houses on the date.
The fear of the date is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.
You may be wondering what about this date that sets people off. According to Arnett-Bequeaith, it has to do with history.
“In medieval times, it was known as the witches’ day of Sabbath. It was also the day people were executed in Roman times,” said Arnett-Bequeath.
It can also be a religious reference.
“To ancient Egyptians, there were twelve stages in the spiritual life," said Arnett-Bequeaith. "The thirteenth was the afterlife. The anxiety comes from a fear of death, instead of celebrating the afterlife."
Here's what happening on #Fridaythe13th in #KansasCity @41ActionNews pic.twitter.com/cRgaxvoloc
— Belinda Post (@Belinda_Post) May 13, 2016
She went on to note several well-known serial killers have thirteen letters in their names. Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Theodore Bundy all have 13 letters in their names.
“It has to do with fears and phobias on a mass scale,” said Arnett-Bequeaith. She said fear can be both a biochemical and an emotional response.
Arnett-Bequeaith owns The Edge of Hell, The Beast, Chambers of Poe and Macabre Cinema Haunted House, and she employs 350 people in peak haunting season. She said each year there are people who have to quit because they believe they have an encounter with a ghost.
Although Friday the 13th makes many people anxious, it’s also lucky to some. Tickets to the haunted houses listed above are $13 in honor of the date.
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