GOOD morning and welcome to Friday 13th!

Hopefully we'll all get through the day without any major catastrophe striking.

It might seem irrational to most of us, but some superstitious people are genuinely worried about what might happen to them the moment the alarm goes off in the morning.

The fact that it's Friday 13th doesn't seem to put off house hunters though, according to the Yorkshire Building Society.

They've come up with figures showing there has been a spike in the number of its customers moving home on six of the last 11 Friday 13ths.

The society reckons the data indicates that the spooky superstition, thought to originate from either the Bible or Norse mythology, holds little sway with 21st Century homeowners.

But borrowers may have demonstrated some signs of paraskevidekatriaphobia - that's fear of Friday 13th - last year the society saw a 40 per cent drop in the average number customers completing their mortgage on Friday, May 13 2016.

Phobia experts say that paraskevidekatriaphobia sufferers may not feel able to leave the house, travel or go to work on Friday 13th, with major life events like moving home or getting married simply out of the question.

FRIDAY 13th FACTS.

  • There is always at least one Friday 13th in a calendar year, with some years having up to three. The longest period possible without a Friday 13th is 14 months.
  • Friday 13th has featured in the following months over the past five years - 2017: January, October; 2016: May; 2015: February , March and November; 2014: June; 2013: September and December; 2012: January, April and July; 2011: May.
  • An irrational fear of Friday 13th is a condition called paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia.
  • The origins of the day being branded unlucky are unclear. It’s commonly believed it has Biblical origins, with both Adam and Eve banished from the Garden of Eden and Jesus crucified on a Friday, and Judas, the 13 apostle, betraying Jesus.
  • Historians have also traced the fear back to a Norse myth about a dinner in Valhalla, Norse heaven. Twelve gods were invited, but a 13th crashed the affair and wreaked havoc, thus tarnishing the number 13 ever after.
  • There’s also a theory among mathematicians that 13 suffers from its position after 12, which is regarded as a complete number in many cultures, representing the months in a year, the signs of the zodiac, the gods of Olympus, labours of Hercules, tribes of Israel, apostles of Jesus and days of Christmas.
  • An irrational fear of Friday 13th may be more common than one would expect - American folklore historian Dr Donald Dossey estimates there are a potential 21 million US sufferers of the phobia, with symptoms ranging from mild anxiety to full-out panic attacks. Dr Dossey has estimated that up to £523 million is lost every Friday 13th, because people who believe the day is unlucky avoid travelling, going to work or, in some cases, leaving the house.
  • A 1993 study in the British Medical Journal found that Friday 13th really is unlucky for some, with data suggesting that the risk of hospital admission as a result of a traffic accident could increase by up to 52 per cent.
  • Famous people born on Friday 13th include former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (October 13, 1925), Cuban leader Fidel Castro (August 13, 1926) and US outlaw Butch Cassidy (April 13, 1866).
  • The association of 13 with bad luck can be seen throughout Western culture – some airports, including JFK in New York, have no Gate 13; many hospitals omit a room 13; and it’s common for tall buildings to miss out the 13th floor – lift manufacturer Otis claim that 85 per cent of US buildings do not have a floor 13.
  • About 28 per cent of UK roads do not have a number 13, including Downing Street. Lewes District Council and Herefordshire County Council have gone as far as banning developers from creating a number 13 on new roads.
  • US president Franklin Roosevelt was a famous triskaidekaphobic, refusing to travel on the 13th day of the month or to hold dinner parties with 13 guests. Superstitious hosts in France can hire a professional 14th guest called a quatorzieme.
  • In Spanish speaking countries, the unluck day is Tuesday the 13th - not Friday.