Friday and 13th? Celebrate anyway!

New Delhi: For the superstitious, Friday the 13th would be a day to steer clear of anything deemed unlucky, but for many among Gen X, it is fast turning out to be the time to raise some hell - and party night long.

Though not a very big marketing event in India unlike the West, lounges and restaurants have started organising events in big cities like Delhi and Bangalore with the theme of dark forces, curses and wicked tracks. Private parties are also being planned.

"Belgian destroyer, D J Shive, will spin his wicked tracks to take on the curse of Friday the thirteenth in New Delhi while it would by Australian Aboriginals in Bangalore", says Sushmita Mani of 3rd Eye Promotions.

"The Gen X does not believe in old myths. And to break away from that, partying is the best option," she adds, noting the whole idea is to destroy the fear associated with the day.

"While the day is a big marketing event in the west, in India, partying around the day has still not caught the fancy of people. They are very superstitious." says image manager Ranjan.

"Many successful Hollywood movies have been made around the theme, though Bollywood has not experimented with it as yet," he says.

But things are changing with partying come up as the best option to break from the myths. In fact, a Delhi socialite marrying next week has specially organised a pre-wedding party on this day, he says.

An international survey shows that more than half of people who considered themselves unlucky dread the number, as opposed to just 22 per cent who consider themselves lucky.

According to estimates, worldwide $800-900 miilion is lost in business on this day because people do not fly or do work they would do on a normal day.

However, psychiatrist Samir Parikh says, "People want to play it safe and so we believe in such things. Centuries back some unfortunate incident may have happened on this day, which passed down the generations through word of mouth. So believing in it becomes a ritual."

"And if by chance, something wrong happens on that day to us, we search for reasons and co-relate it to that," he says.

Astrologer Ajay Bhambi says some or the other 'unfortunate' events would have happened on every day of the year. "So why brand Friday, the 13th as unlucky? The day has no significance in Indian astrology."

Agrees tarot and coffee cup reader Poonam Sethi, "According to numerology, number 13 is very lucky because the sum adds up to four. Every day is lucky. A time to celebrate."

One theory associated with why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky is that 13 people attended the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and then he was crucified on a Friday.

Other theories relate to Scandinavian mythology and legends of a bloodbath ordered against the Knights Templar by French King Philip IV on October 13, 1307.

However, sadly, Friday, the 13th, did live up to its reputation at least in the case - the Uphaar tragedy in the Capital.