Episode 603
Paraskevidekatriaphobia
Paraskevidekatriaphobia — that’s the fancy name for being scared of Friday the 13th, and the guy who coined it, psychotherapist Donald Dossey, reportedly said if you can pronounce the word you're cured. I'm Haystack, and I spent the segment laughing at the idea that years of gut-level dread could be fixed by a spelling bee. We joked about where the superstition even came from — Bible, ancient myths, or Jason Voorhees sneaking in — and pointed out some folks genuinely won't leave the house, work, or travel on Friday the 13th. Wildly, this was the third Friday the 13th of the year, so the calendar's apparently trying to mess with us. I also roasted local panic-level problems — like merging onto 49 during rush hour being way scarier — and my co-host rambled through classic superstitions: cracked mirrors, rabbit’s feet, black cats, spilled salt, the whole lucky/unlucky circus.
Takeaways:
- I joke that Friday the 13th anxiety has a real name—Paraskevidekatriaphobia—and some claim just saying it cures you.
- I point out some folks won't travel, go to work, or even leave home on Friday the 13th, using it as a legit excuse.
- I tease that 2026 threw us three Friday the 13ths this year, like the calendar is trolling everybody for fun.
- I compare superstitions' murky origins—Bible, old myths, or Jason Voorhees—and leave the spooky stuff up to you.
- I confess that, personally, surviving NW Arkansas rush hour merging onto Highway 49 is way scarier than any curse.
Transcript
It's haystack.
Speaker A:And today is, of course, Friday the 13th.
Speaker A:And that fills you with anxiety.
Speaker A:Then congratulations, you have an actual condition called paraskeva deca triaphobia.
Speaker A:That is Paraskeva deca.
Speaker A:Triaphobia, the medical term for being terrified of Friday the 13th or having to pronounce Paraskeva deca triophobia.
Speaker A:Here's the crazy thing.
Speaker A:The guy credited with coming up with that word was a psychotherapist named Donald Dossey.
Speaker A:And he reportedly claimed that if you could learn to pronounce it, you would be cured.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:Just years of debilitating anxiety and the treatment is a spelling bee.
Speaker A:Now, nobody's really sure where the superstition, superstition, superstition started.
Speaker A:Some blame the Bible, others blame ancient mythology.
Speaker A:I would blame Jason Voorhees, but this fear is actually serious enough that some people will absolutely not travel, will absolutely not go to work, will absolutely not even leave their house on Friday the 13th.
Speaker A:Which sounds less like a phobia and more like the best excuse ever for a three day weekend.
Speaker A:But get this, we've had three Friday the 13th this year.
Speaker A:Yeah, this is the third one.
Speaker A:2026 Was so screwed up, the calendar tried to get in on the action to mess with.
Speaker A:I wouldn't worry too much about the bad luck today, though.
Speaker A:After all, if you live in northwest Arkansas, you've already survived the most terrifying thing imaginable, and that's trying to merge onto 49 during rush hour.
Speaker B:I've got a case of Paraskeva decatriophobia.
Speaker B:If you look that word up inside of Wikipedia, it's the fear of Fridays on the 13th of the calendar.
Speaker B:Maybe you've got Pariskeva deca triophobia.
Speaker B:Hum diddle ittle ittle hum diddle.
Speaker B:I'm diddle ittle ittle hum diddle.
Speaker B:I, I stepped upon a crack one time.
Speaker B:My mother broke her back.
Speaker B:I had years of bad luck after my mirror cracked.
Speaker B:I walked under a ladder when it was Friday 13th.
Speaker B:And that's why my backpack is full of 20 rabbit's feet.
Speaker B:Oh, I think I've got Parascabodeca triophobia.
Speaker B:You should get real nervous if a black cat walks in front of you.
Speaker B:When you spill some salt, you better throw it left and back of you.
Speaker B:Yes, I've got the Parascabodeca Triophobic.
