Celebration…or dread?

Who says Friday the 13th is bad luck? 

Everyone! 

No, sir. Not me. I find it quite wondrous, actually. And I’m not just saying that because my son was born on a Friday the 13th, and we celebrate anytime one rolls around. But there is something magical about how people create stories that get woven into our culture and blanket us in a shared experience. Some good. (11/11 amirite) Some not so much. For some you need a counter narrative.

The way you tell the story matters. When my son was sad that kids said 13 was unlucky, we chose to take it back. Since Friday the 13th was particularly unfortunate, we decided to give it our own little spin. It might be unlucky for some. But not for us. For us, it is a day to celebrate.

You know who else subverted this idea? Mister Rogers. I know! You don’t think of Fred as a subversive kind of guy. And generally he wasn’t. But he was a man who stood up for what he believed in and he put children at the forefront of everything he did. Sometimes that made him subversive. Always it made him my hero.

Mister Rogers, created King Friday the 13th to de-stigmatize the date for kids. The show celebrated King Friday’s birthday every Friday the 13th—it’s where I got the inspiration to do that for my little one. 

Celebration or dread, I’ve honestly always enjoyed the potential of the day. The anticipation of danger. The thrill of escape. The possibility of wonder.

What will you do this Friday the 13th? How will you unlock the wonder?

P.S. My next post will not be about enigmatic dates. Pinky swear.