Friday the 13th is often considered an unlucky or cursed day. It is unclear how this superstition came to pass and became so well known today. Some popular theories are:
- On Friday, 13 October 1307, hundreds of the Knights Templar were arrested in France.
- In Christianity, Jesus was crucified on a Friday and there were 13 people present at the last supper.
- The 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini, who died on a Friday the 13th, noted that like so many Italians, he regarded Friday as an unlucky day and thirteen as an unlucky number.
- The publication in 1907 of Thomas W. Lawson's popular novel Friday, the Thirteenth, writes of an unscrupulous broker who takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th.
The fear of the number 13 is triskadekaphobia. The fear of Friday the 13th is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, NC, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the U.S. are affected by a fear of this day, making it the most feared day and date in history. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. It's been estimated that $800 - $900 million is lost in business on this day.
So, what about you? Do you hide in bed on Friday the 13th? Do you fear caching because you are frightened you may get a paper cut from a cache log that will become infected and cause you to lose a finger? Are you afraid you may find a cache container with a deadly spider? Are you terrified that a disfigured man in a hockey mask will hunt you with a chainsaw? Or do you just go about your business and find caches like any other regular day? If so, this cache is for you.
Since the dawn of geocaching, there have been 25 Friday the 13ths. Most years there are one or two. In 2015, we have an unusual year where we will experience three Friday the 13ths. Listed below are the Friday the 13ths from the year 2000 to 2020.
THE CHALLENGE:
In order to log this challenge complete, you must find at least 13 caches on Friday the 13th and at least one of these finds must have the word "cemetery" in the title or the description just to prove how non-superstitious you really are.
- Caches can be found over multiple Friday the 13ths.
- Previous finds do count.
- You can find more than 13 caches if you like. 13 is the minimum number to qualify.
- The cemetery cache must have the word "cemetery" in the title or in the description. Yes, I know cemetery is an often misspelled word so "cemetary" will also be accepted. :) (Note: Remember, it is disrespectful to geocache in a cemetery after dark so please find your cemetery cache during daylight hours only.)
- In your log, please list the dates you qualified for the challenge as well as the cemetery cache GC code that qualifies you for the challenge.
EXAMPLE:
ScaredyCatCacher's Log - I found 3 caches on 7/13/2007, 4 caches on 8/13/2010, and 6 caches on 4/13/2012. On 4/13/2012, I found was GC1GDVF, "R.I.P.#1 (Rummell)", which notes in the description that it is hidden in a cemetery.
HELPFUL INFORMATION:
The dates of Friday the 13th between 2000 and 2020 are:
10/13/2000, 04/13/2001, 07/13/2001, 09/13/2002, 12/13/2002, 06/13/2003, 02/13/2004, 08/13/2004, 05/13/2005, 01/13/2006, 10/13/2006, 04/13/2007, 07/13/2007, 06/13/2008, 02/13/2009, 03/13/2009, 11/13/2009, 08/13/2010, 05/13/2011, 01/13/2012, 04/13/2012, 07/13/2012, 09/13/2013, 12/13/2013, 06/13/2014, 02/13/2015, 03/13/2015, 11/13/2015, 05/13/2016, 01/13/2017, 10/13/2017, 04/13/2018, 07/13/2018, 09/13/2019, 12/13/2019, 03/13/2020, 11/13/2020
D/T Rating:
The actual D/T for the find is a 1/1.5. The D/T listed is due to the restricted days you have to complete the challenge, the number of caches you need to get on those days, and the planning that may be involved to get 13 caches including a cemetery cache. The geocaching online D/T rating tool was used to determine the D/T for this challenge.