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Black cats are viewed as unlucky or lucky, depending on which part of the world you live in. Shutterstock/V Tarasenko

Poll: Are you superstitious?

Today is Friday the 13th.

IT’S FRIDAY THE 13th – a date that has become synonymous with superstition and bad luck.

Some people throw spilled salt over their shoulder, and avoid walking under ladders or on cracks on the footpath – regardless of the date. But a sense of superstition is often heightened today.

Friday the 13th developed its reputation for multiple reasons including the death of Jesus on a Friday, following the presence of 13 people at the Last Supper.

Let us know: Are you superstitious?


Poll Results:

No, it's a load of rubbish (4519)
Yes, you can't be too careful (2574)
I don't know (1030)
I don't want to answer, this seems like a trap (968)

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37 Comments
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    Mute Shelly Levine
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    May 13th 2022, 10:13 AM

    Thankfully not (touch wood)

    453
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    Mute James Lough
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    May 13th 2022, 11:19 AM

    @Shelly Levine: l see what you did there !

    38
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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    May 13th 2022, 10:17 AM

    Only when i walk under a ladder, or see a black cat, or a single magpie, or open an umbrella in the house or put new shoes on the table, or break a mirror, or walk on the cracks in the path, or have the volume set on an uneven number.

    213
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    Mute Mike Grimes
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    May 13th 2022, 10:52 AM

    @Brian Dunne: you mean that your amp doesn’t go to 11?

    35
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    Mute Ixtrix Net
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    May 13th 2022, 11:14 AM

    @Mike Grimes:
    Mine doesn’t go below 11

    27
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    Mute TomTraubert
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    May 13th 2022, 3:55 PM

    @Brian Dunne: do you tip your cap and say hello Mr magpie to the magpie? I do. I suspect I’m on dodgy ground assuming it’s Gender though.

    8
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    May 13th 2022, 10:27 AM

    Was one time. Joined a fortune tellers club, but when it was cancelled due to unforseen circumstances, I lost all faith in superstition..

    133
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    Mute Bad Bunny
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    May 13th 2022, 10:03 AM

    A little stitious.

    78
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    Mute Wooden Spoon
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    May 13th 2022, 10:22 AM

    Very superstitious. Writings on the wall.

    63
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    Mute Reuben Gray
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    May 13th 2022, 10:03 AM

    Me? No, but I married a Catholic so…

    48
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    May 13th 2022, 10:36 AM

    It must be tough to have to admit in the cold light of day, even to yourself, that you believe the month you were born in, the position of the moon, the proximity of a black cat or the existence of a number, have an actual tangible effect on your day/week/month/year/life. This is exactly how organised religion got such a foothold.

    47
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    Mute TomTraubert
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    May 13th 2022, 3:56 PM

    @JusticeForJoe: I don’t think religion as anything to do with the fact it’s bad luck to buy someone a watch, shoes or a handbag.

    9
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    May 13th 2022, 6:55 PM

    @TomTraubert: I think the same principles that allow for religion are what allow you to call that a fact.

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    Mute TomTraubert
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    May 13th 2022, 10:27 PM

    @JusticeForJoe: sorry, alleged fact. Obvs.

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    Mute Great White Hope
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    May 13th 2022, 10:24 AM

    We, Virgo’s are not superstitious

    41
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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    May 13th 2022, 10:46 AM

    I actually wasn’t until you reminded me what day it is. Back under the duvet so…

    35
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    Mute TomTraubert
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    May 13th 2022, 3:57 PM

    @Liz O’Neill: it is a convenient excuse in fairness

    3
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    Mute Mary Fitzsimons
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    May 13th 2022, 10:22 AM

    I went to a bakery this morning as my car is in the mechanics. And was served a stale pastry. I sent it back . I ended up getting 4 stale pastries in a row. I gave up.

    22
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    Mute Reuben Gray
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    May 13th 2022, 10:35 AM

    @Mary Fitzsimons: There’s a potential Alanis Morissette lyric there.
    She’d probably think that was “ironic”….

    29
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    Mute JC
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    May 13th 2022, 10:40 AM

    It would be interesting to see the correlation between superstitious people and religious people vs non-religious

    14
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    May 13th 2022, 10:48 AM

    @JC: Exactly… I wanna hear from the superstitious atheists and the non-superstitious church-goers. Do those categories even exist?

    18
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    Mute JC
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    May 13th 2022, 10:53 AM

    @JusticeForJoe: Yeah it seems odd to me that someone who doesn’t believe in a God, would believe that Friday 13th is bad luck. Having said that, I worked with someone who didn’t believe in god, heaven, religion…. but did believe in angels

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    Mute TomTraubert
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    May 13th 2022, 3:58 PM

    @JC: ah, but what about causation though. Much more relevant. I could show you correlation between the number of red cars passing my house each day and the ambient temperature inside my house. Can’t really show causation though. I say that with 95% confidence.

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    Mute UK Hurling Bloke
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    May 13th 2022, 4:07 PM

    @JC: plenty of non-religious believe in astrology / horoscopes /star-sign stuff. That’s another flavour of superstition in some respects

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    May 13th 2022, 5:19 PM

    @JC: Bet he liked ABBA.

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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    May 13th 2022, 6:58 PM

    @UK Hurling Bloke: You’re right. I’ve often heard/seen the line “I’m not religious, but I am spiritual”. I have a hard time really seeing a distinction there and would be genuinely grateful if someone could explain it to me

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    Mute Sean May
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    May 13th 2022, 11:51 AM

    Just prior to the last time I went out on a Friday the 13th, I had been scoffing towards people explaining on radio why they were superstitious about that date. Later on during that day, I was pick-pocketed and had my wallet stolen by some miscreant on the Luas.

    Needless to say, I’m staying put indoors today, lol.

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    May 13th 2022, 1:54 PM

    If something bad happens to you on Friday 13th, it’s usually because you’re scared that it’s Friday 13th and it’s on your mind and you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing :)

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    Mute James Fox
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    May 13th 2022, 10:23 AM

    Yes because I guessed the a few days ago that the journal would do a poll on telling the future. Obviously because they nothing else to do a poll on

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    Mute Ríain HenC
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    May 13th 2022, 10:20 AM

    Very

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    Mute Ernie Gallagher
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    May 13th 2022, 4:36 PM

    No, but any chance you dropping that cat back off at Leinster House when you’re finished. Hear there’s a gig going that might suit.

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    Mute Michael Gantly
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    May 13th 2022, 2:27 PM

    I’m not superstitious. It might bring me bad luck.

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    May 13th 2022, 12:48 PM

    I’m not generally superstitious, touch wood.

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    Mute Daff. Myers
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    May 14th 2022, 10:48 AM

    I was stung by a bee and then hit by a car 5 minutes later on my way to work one Friday the 13th. True story.

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    Mute Andre le Flohic
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    May 13th 2022, 7:09 PM

    Well .. could I answer : it depends ? If it is question of walking under a ladder it is a YES .. many things can fall ! If it is a friday 13 .. NO ! Are you happy now ??

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    Mute gordon o loughlin
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    May 13th 2022, 10:09 PM

    Nope definitely not
    Nope definitely not
    nope definitely not
    Phew lol

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    Mute Tacita O'Copa
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    May 14th 2022, 6:58 PM

    I deliberately walked under ladders and stepped on footpath cracks when I was a child to defy these irrational superstitions, and I have opened umbrellas indoors many times as an adult.

    Still, Capricorns should be careful – look what happened to Jesus.

    1
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