With all the panic lately about gay marriages resuming in California and mosques proposed near Ground Zero and elsewhere, plus Muslims scared that this year’s timing of the end of Ramadan will be interpreted as some kind of Sept. 11 celebration, it’s refreshing today to turn to a simpler kind of fear: Paraskevidekatriaphobia, or for those of you who don’t speak Greek, fear of Friday the 13th. 

I don’t share this superstition, given that I love Fridays and both my parents are born on the 13th — doesn’t get much luckier than that! But, the phobia does some religious roots (mainly Christian), so I thought I’d share some relevant links here today:

• My Holy Friday the 13th (Beliefnet)
• Friday the 13th Superstitions Rooted in Bible and More (National Geographic)
• Faith-based Superstitions: 8-13-10 (Bill’s ‘Faith Matters’ Weblog)
• Friday the 13th, and the superstition in sports (Valley Courier)
• Friday the 13th? It’s my lucky day, says bride (Witney Gazette)

What do you think? Feeling unlucky? Share your thoughts, and any other interesting links you find, in the Comments section below.

*Click here to subscribe to Belief Beat and click here to follow Belief Beat on Twitter.