Putting Friday the 13th Superstitions to the Test

Are you feeling superstitious?

If you are, know that today will be over soon. And it's the only Friday the 13th this year; there won't be another one until January 2012.

While the lore of the day is more about urban legend than hard evidence, the superstitons can be enough to make people second-guess a wedding — or even an outing.

Here are some of the top superstitions related to Friday the 13th — and the reasons why they may not hold true in Rochester.

It's bad luck to get married on Friday the 13th. While it's true we couldn't find any weddings being planned around town for tonight, we did chat with one woman who is celebrating her wedding anniversary today — and is proud to say she picked the date to get married.

"Funny enough we actually got married in Rochester on Friday the 13th intentionally — my thought was so that my husband would never forget," said Janie Ruscoe-Kirchler.

That was six years ago. Let this serve as a gentle reminder to her husband, Jay. 

No one wants their baby born on Friday the 13th. Some things just can't be controlled — after all, babies don't know how a calendar works. But, actually, there were two births planned for today at in Rochester — one a scheduled induction and one a cesarean section, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Rochester Patch reader Mary Lutzke can offer some advice. "Well, for me Friday the 13th is a good thing because my mom was born on Friday the 13th and she turned out great," Lutzke said.

People stay home on Friday the 13th. What? A day when Rochester-area residents DON'T go out to eat? Sue Keels, marketing director for the , said they have seen no evidence that people stay home on the day — they're serving dinner as usual.

And in fact, the is actually capitalizing on the date. The theme of their ninth annual signature event tonight, which benefits Meals on Wheels, is (complete with a black cat on the logo).

See — there's always a reason to get out in Rochester.

In general, bad things happen on this day. There aren't any statistics that prove an influx of car accidents or other mayhem, historically, on this day.  We asked Rochester Police Chief Steve Schettenhelm whether the department planned for the day with extra officers on patrol — or whether, anecdotally, there was any truth to this school of thought. 

"No, we don't plan for it," Schettenhelm said. "It's not like a full moon — that's when we see more things happen."