Friday the 13th - a glimpse back in time

I saw a post on the internet this morn, that says:

"Friday the 13th ppl. By the way this day is so because on this date (Friday October the 13th, 1307), the Pope of the church in Rome in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant Against "the Knights Templar". Many Hundreds and thousands of the Templars were murdered and tortured in the worst possible ways, accused of being heretics and gay. Their Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested and before he was killed, was tortured and crucified (the cloth of turin probrably marks pictorial evidence of this). Turns out the truth of the matter was they only wanted to steal there vast fortunes as both the church and The King of France were broke."

So who knows more about Friday the 13th and other tales passed through the veil of thyme....?


Here are a few reasons from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th

Various theories have been proposed about the origin of the Friday 13th "superstition"...

1.  It is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions: that thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day.

2.  In numerology, the number 12 is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the 12 months of the year, 12 hours of the clock, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles of Jesus, the 12 Descendants of Muhammad Imams, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness.

3.  There is also a superstition, thought by some 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.

4.  Some say that Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century's The Canterbury Tales.

5.  Other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects.

6.  Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s.

7.  It has also been suggested that Friday has been considered an unlucky day because, according to Christian scripture and tradition, Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

8.  Records of the superstition are rarely found before the 20th century, when it became extremely common.  One author, noting that references are all but nonexistent before 1907 but frequently seen thereafter, has argued that its popularity derives from the publication that year of Thomas W. Lawson's popular novel Friday, the Thirteenth, in which an unscrupulous broker takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th.

9.  The connection between the Friday the 13th superstition and the Knights Templar was popularized in the 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code. However, some experts agree that this is a relatively recent correlation, and most likely a modern-day invention. Although according to many Freemasons, this date corresponds with the slaughtering of the Knights Templar by the Church. Many Knights Templar also escaped their persecution by fleeing to Scotland.


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Heres a selection of sources for more info from Google:

Dont feel shy to post your own...


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1. Friday the 13th - Origins, History, and Folklore

   urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th.htm

   According to some sources it's the most widespread superstition in the United States today. Some people refuse to go to work on Friday the 13th; some won't eat ...

2. Friday the 13th - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th

   Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, ... latter word was derived in 1911 and first appeared in a mainstream source in 1953. ...
   

   Friday the 13th (2009 film) - Friday the 13th (franchise)

3. Knights Templar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar

   On Friday, October 13, 1307 (a date sometimes spuriously linked with the origin of theFriday the 13th superstition) Philip ordered de Molay and scores of other ..... has been a tempting source for many other groups which have used alleged ...

4. snopes.com: Friday the 13th

   www.snopes.com/luck/friday13.asp

   8 Aug 2007 – Why is Friday the 13th considered an unlucky day? ... role in Western culture is now a much diminished one, more a source of amusement than ...

5. The JavaScript Source: Time and Date: Find Friday the 13th's!

   javascriptsource.com/time-date/find-friday-the-13th's!.html

   This will display all the Friday the 13th's for a range of years. You may also select a certain month to review! Awesome show of how to interpret and change the ...

6. Friday the 13th, Part II: Oracle Officially Ends OpenSolaris | ITworld

   www.itworld.com/...source/.../friday-13th-part-ii-oracle-officially-en...

   13 Aug 2010 – An internal memo reveals the unfortunate fate of OpenSolaris.

7. Friggatriskaidekaphobiarelatusphobia, Or "Not Another Friday the 13th

   blogcritics.org/.../friggatriskaidekaphobiarelatusphobia-or-not-anothe...

   13 Aug 2010 – friggatriskaidekaphobiarelatusphobia n. a strong aversion to endless news reporting about friggatriskaidekaphobia on Friday the 13th. [source] ...

12th Night (25 Dec - Jan 6)

EXTRACT: 


In Old England, The Twelfth Night marked the end of the winter festival that started on Samhain. The Lord of Misrule symbolizes the world turning upside down with the coming of winter. In the middle ages, the Twelfth Night began on the eve of December 25th moving forward 12 days to January 6th, hence the name the twelve days of Christmas.

The Twelfth Night festival marked the onset of the winter solstice, the point in late December when the sun, whose daily arc had reached its lowest, darkest, coldest point, began its rise toward the longer, warmer days and the coming of spring. On December 25th, the ceremonial Yule log was hauled in to start the hearth fire around which its members and visitors would gather throughout the rest of the Christmas festival days.

Twelfth Night was the final frenzy of feasting, drinking and merry making before the townspeople returned to daily life for the remainder of winter. A grand cake was the focus of the celebratory feast as well as Wassail, Fig Pudding and other generous tasty handmade dishes.

Wassail, The ale-based drink seasoned with spices, fruits, sugars and honey was served in huge silver or pewter bowls. The punch was passed amongst family members and friends with the greeting "Wassail", the Old English term meaning "be well."

The Winter Solstice or “Yule” celebrates the shortest day and the longest night. When the sun returns, born from the dark and nourishing womb of the Great Goddess. And as the Oak King regains his rule, defeating the Holly King, we kindle the light of hope. For light is returning and with it, new life and new beginnings.

Winter Wassail Punch spices are a blend of traditional Wassail fruits and spices and will fill your home with a warm and festive magical aroma. With organic orange peel, organic cinnamon, organic ginger, organic cloves organic raw sugar, and organic winter spices, each jar comes with a cinnamon stick to add to the brew. Add slices of fresh apples to the brew or use apple slices as a garnish when serving.

To use, simply place the spice mix into a cauldron or pot with apple cider or wine. Simmer and brew on low until the desired taste is reached. Strain the brewing herbs and serve warm. YUM!

To use as an aromatic home brew, fill a cauldron or simmering pot with about 2 cups of water. Add the brew and simmer on low heat. If simmering for a longer period of time, make sure to add more water to the mix. This 4 ounce glass jar of Winter Wassail Punch Spices will brew about 3 or 4 large pots.

HOLLY AND IVY
The Holly King, the Lord of the Winterwood and darksome twin of the waning year, rules from Midsummer to Midwinter. Also recognized as the Horned God or Father Time, the Holly King is the King of the Waning year who plunged the earth into Winter. He also represents inner knowledge and mysteries. The Oak King, the Lord of the Greenwood and golden twin of the waxing year, rules from Midwinter to Midsummer. The Oak King represents light, growth and expansion.

To the early Celts, trees, especially the Oak tree were considered sacred. Oak trees are deciduous, meaning that they go into a dormant state during the winter months. English Christmas Holly trees are evergreen, and maintain their foliage year round. As the cold weather approached and the Oak trees lost their foliage, the Holly trees, which had been hidden amid the leafy Oaks now stood out in their full beauty in the barren landscape.


12th night resin incense
Twelfth Night Old World "Resins of the Ancients" are a blend of natural heartwoods, saps, resins, herbs, flowers and honey drenched with intoxicating essential and essence oils that will fill your sacred space with energy and magic celebrating Old England and the medieval Pagan traditions of Twelfth Night. A return to merriment of times long ago and long forgotten ~

Resin incenses have been burned for centuries during ritual work to invoke the spirits. This magickal blend will intoxicate and fill the air, inside or out of doors, with a lovely pure and sweet natural fragrance. This aromatic sacred smoke is so powerful that just a few pieces burned on a disk will fill up your sacred space with a mood transforming essence and its magical power. A blend reminiscent of a dark winters night on the streets of Old England, burning woods, warm fig and vanilla bean.

Resin incenses are made to be burned on a charcoal disk in a cauldron or heat safe incense vessel.



Ref:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/64223317/winter-wassail-punch-holiday-wassail?ref=v1_other_1
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64296007/twelfth-night-resins-of-the-ancients-old?ref=tre-4d10509687566d91ba03be3b-2