Small Town Times
Issue 2-6
Litchfield Public Schools PO Box 167 Litchfield , NE 68852-0167 Phone : 308-446-2244
January 2017 The “ Get Motivated !” Issue
Student Editors : Lori Bay , Rachel Linden , Amanda McClain , Tyren Howard , Joseph Ptacnik , RaNay Casper , & Tyla Runyan
Newsletter Advisor :
Mrs . Nikia Hunt nikia . hunt @ litchfieldps . org
Inside this Issue
1 Friday the 13 th 2 Senior Spotlight 3 Sports Highlights 4 National Winnie the Pooh Day 4 Opposite Day 5 Christmas Concert Success 5 “ Fad ” Diets 6 MLK Day 6 FFA News / Updates 6 General Fund 7 Superintendent ’ s Report 8 Principal ’ s Report 9 January Lunch Menu 10 Counselor ’ s Corner 11 January Events / Activities Calendar
12 Early Years Preschool Newsletter
Prepare for Bad Luck ! By : Rachel Linden
Friday the 13th is an unlucky day , and bad things are said to happen on that day ; it just so happens that this January 13 th is a Friday . Some historians believe that the superstitions surrounding it arose in the late 19th century . The day has been associated with misfortune since 1307 , when on Friday the 13th , the French King gave the orders to arrest hundreds of Knights Templar .
Fear of Friday the 13 th is also called “ friggatriskaidekaphobia .” The word comes from Frigg , the Norse goddess of wisdom after whom Friday is named , and the Greek words triskaideka , meaning 13 , and phobia , meaning fear . Because of this superstitious fear of the number 13 , many high-rise buildings , hotels , and hospitals skip the 13th floor , many airports do not have gates numbered 13 , and many hospitals do not have a room 13 . In many parts of the world , having 13 people at the dinner table is considered bad luck . The number 13 has been considered unlucky as far back as biblical times , when the 13 th guest at the Last Supper was said to have betrayed Jesus .
More than 60 million people worldwide are affected with fear of Friday the 13 th . Many people will not drive a car , leave the house , or even get out of bed on this day . Some other reportedly unlucky things to attempt on Friday the 13 th include : beginning a journey , having a baby , getting married , moving , and starting a new job .
Although it may just be superstition , some pretty bad things have happened on a Friday the 13 th , including the Nazis dropping a bomb on Buckingham Palace ( Sept 13 , 1940 ), the second most damaging stock market crash ever ( Oct 13 , 1989 ), countless airplane crashes , and many other incidents .
All of the years will have at least one Friday the 13th . The good news is that there cannot be more than three Friday the 13ths in any given calendar year . The longest one can go without seeing a Friday the 13th is 14 months . If you , like many famous people , including Franklin D . Roosevelt , Herbert Hoover , or Napoleon Bonaparte , have a fear of Friday the 13 th , make sure you charm your luck by knocking on wood , finding a four-leaf clover , putting your clothes on inside-out , sleeping facing south , walking in the rain , avoiding cracks in the sidewalk , carrying an acorn in your pocket , or picking up a penny from the street . Of course , if your friggatriskaidekaphobia is bad enough , maybe you should just stay in bed !
1