Friday the 13th is tomorrow! It's known for being the unluckiest day on the calendar. There are tons of horror movies and slasher films based on the idea that the date is evil, unlucky and frightening. Why is that? 

The Origin 

Well, from what I’ve gathered it’s an old Norse myth about 12 old gods gathering for dinner. An uninvited 13th god, Loki, arrived with the intention of killing another god. From that, the number 13 has been deemed “unlucky.” 

How Unlucky Is North Dakota? 

So how “Unlucky” is North Dakota? TopUSCasinos.com did a study and found that we rank pretty well. They looked at natural disaster rates, lightning strikes, accidental mortalities, and several other things to come up with these findings.  

North Dakota was found to be the 16th luckiest state in the U.S.! 

The Unluckiest States? 

I had to look! TopUSCasinos.com found that West Virginia and Mississippi were the unluckiest states in the country. And the luckiest overall? That was found to be none other than New York. 

Did you know: Friday the 13th can occur up to 3 times a year?  

North Dakota’s Biggest Superstitions/Myths: 

According to 247wallst.com North Dakotans believe that if you kill a snake, you have to cut its head off and bury it in the ground to keep it from coming back together. So, maybe just leave the snake alone and avoid the whole situation altogether. Also, wouldn’t it be a good thing if it repaired or healed itself? I’m confused.  

Another One To Note: 

According to froggyweb.com North Dakotans are also big on the “throwing salt over your shoulder” superstition I’m sure you’ve heard of this and/or even done it yourself. The superstition is, that if you spill salt, it’s bad luck, so to remedy the bad juju you must throw it over your shoulder.  

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Signs Of Good Luck: 

I’m a pretty unlucky person, myself. If you’re like me, here are a few things that might improve your circumstances. 

  1. A Lucky Rabbit’s Foot – I'm not suggesting that anyone should promptly go mutilate a poor innocent rabbit, but they are out there, and if you’re desperate and need all the help you can get, it’s an option for you.  
  2. Lady Bugs – To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a ladybug in North Dakota. If you see one cross your path, take it as a sign.  
  3. Knock On Wood – This isn’t so much a sign of good luck, as it is a precaution. If you say something out loud, some believe you manifest the energy and cause it to happen. How do we fix this? We knock on a little piece of wood.  

Why do we do this, you ask? According to ArtAndCulture.com, it’s actually an old Celtic-European belief that good and bad spirits lived in trees. To scare them away you would knock on them. Interesting right?! 

Those are just some of the ways you can repair your bad luck. My advice: avoid ladders, black cats, and owls. And, if you have a lucky penny you better keep it in your pocket! 


 

 

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