Friday the 13th!

When the 13th calendar day of any month falls on a Friday it is considered to be a day of bad luck in several cultures. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia.

Although I love almost anything scary, frightening and weird, I am also a skeptic (meaning that I don't believe in such things easily) and simply believe that most of these stories that I hear are mostly likely Urban Legends; however, after looking at websites like snopes.com and howthingswork.com (Click on the links and go directly to the pages on Friday the 13th), both sites explain why we should indeed be a little nervous....

There actually is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is unlucky for some people. Some psychologists have found that there are some people who are more likely to have accidents and become sick on Friday the 13th.

The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina estimates nearly $900 million is lost in business each Friday the 13th because some people will not travel or go to work.

Did you know?

*That hotels rarely have a room number 13

*Highways will sometimes skip exit 13

*A hangman's noose has 13 knots

*The driver of Princess Diana hit pillar #13 at Place de l'Alma when she was killed in Paris, France

*Christ and his 12 disciples (13 including Jesus) were in attendance at the crucifixion which occurred on a Friday.

In the meantime, here are some scary books with Deaf Characters for you to enjoy with the lights on!

Jean F. Andrews (Flying Fingers Series) The Ghost of Tomahawk Creek (1993)
Join main characters Donald, Matt and Susan for a delightfully scary story in this Flying Fingers Club sequel.

V.C. Andrews Girl in the Shadows (2006)
Main character April Taylor has recently lost her parents and moves in with a kindly elderly woman and her deaf granddaughter. A dangerous couple arrives and disrupts April's new sense of comfort.

James Casey Gillies The Legend of Five Great Deaf Ghost Stories (2003)
Here is a collection of creepy ghost stories including: "A Reclusive Ghost in the Room"; "Henrietta, the Old Deaf Lady"; "A Girl in Room 24"; "A Man in the Lake"; and "The Old Deaf Aunt's House". The stories include both deaf characters and deaf ghosts!

Betty Sullivan La Pierre The Silent Scream (2001)
Richard, a young deaf boy, returns home and finds his mother murdered. As he goes out to find his mother's killer, he puts himself in jeopardy. This mystery is full of suspense and an interesting group of characters, including a crazy mountain man.