WHETHER it’s triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13) or paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th), it’s certainly true that less people choose to move home on Friday the 13th.

But is it really the unluckiest day of the year?

Armishaws Removals have searched ancient texts, spoken to oracles and danced under a full moon to determine the unluckiest dates for anyone thinking of moving home.

April 4th

In Chinese, the word for the number four (sì) sounds remarkably like the word for death, so the 4th of April is their Friday the 13th.

April 14th

Terrible tornadoes, sandstorms, hailstorms, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the sinking of the Titanic all occurred on this day.

April 19th

Westlife released their first single, Sweat It Again, a truly dark day in pop music history.

April 24th

1971, the play Frank Merriwell opened and closed on Broadway on the same day, the date is now considered unlucky in theatrical circles. It’s also the date the Trojan Horse entered the city of Troy.

June 28th

On this day in 1914, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria was assassinated sparking WWI. Golfer Lee Trevino was struck by lightning at a tournament in Illinois in 1975, and in 1925 Arnold Dolmertsch moved to Surrey, where he popularised the teaching of the wooden recorders in schools, creating ear splitting torture for millions of parents.

Aug 6th

The world’s oldest tree, known as Prometheus, was cut down by a graduate student studying climate change in 1964. The tree, located in Great Basin National Park, was estimated to be nearly 5,000 years old.

August 8th

In India the number eight represents the Shani, the Hindu god of misfortune, making the 8th of the 8th a date shunned by many.

August 15th

Over in Japan, the 15th of August marks the anniversary of the death of Buddha in 483 B.C.E. making it very bad luck for couples to marry on this day. It was also on this date in 1040 that King Duncan of Scotland died in a battle against his cousin and rival, Macbeth.

October 31st

All Hallows Eve (‘Halloween’) carries all kinds of dread and fear… Unless you happen to sell sweets or fancy dress costumes.

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