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Dubai: Watch out for black cats, don't walk under ladders and don't spill the salt. Most superstitions were given extra attention yesterday - Friday the 13th - as it is the day supposedly associated with bad luck.
Friday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck in English, French and Portuguese-speaking countries around the world, as well as in Scandinavian countries.
Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions such as in Greece, Romania and Spanish-speaking countries where Tuesday 13 is considered unlucky. In Italy, it is Friday 17.
In some countries, high-rises do not have a 13th floor, many airports skip the 13th gate, and hospitals and hotels regularly have no room numbered 13.
Stay indoors
"I believe that it is a day of bad luck. Most Filipinos prefer to stay indoors and do not want to leave the house in case an accident happens," said Janice Odasco, a resident.
"The lucky day for me is Wednesday because I believe that something good has to come out from that day, but having a lucky day varies from person to person," said the 23-year-old Catholic from the Philippines.
Mylenne Codandabany, 30, is from France and is a practising Hindu. She believes that Friday 13 is actually a lucky day.
"Some people may believe in [it being an unlucky day] but I am used to Friday 13 in being a lucky day. Growing up in France, it used to be common to see people trying their luck in raffles and in buying lottery tickets. I used to try my luck on that day sometimes too, with a scratch, and win coupon," she said.
Maysa Abdullah, a 25-year-old UAE national, said it is an ordinary day and is a superstition followed by Western societies. "But I would think twice if I crossed a black cat on Friday 13," she said.
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