How to throw a Friday 13th party

There are many superstitions that are born out of a lack of understanding and intrigue which more than often arose hundreds of years ago, however one such superstition is that associated with Friday 13th, this is in fact quite a modern day superstition with the earliest records only going back as far as the 1860's.

It is believed that should any of the Fridays in a month fall upon the 13th day bad luck will befall all people, whilst there has never been any true evidence to back this up, the superstition lives onto this day, with it being kept alive through film and the media.

That said it's another great excuse for a party! So if the month starts on a Sunday then you can start to plan your Friday 13th parties in advance, just have a look at your calendar to see how many occur in the year. In 2010, the next Friday 13th party is in August, so although it might seem a long way off its something to look forward to towards the end of the summer.

So, what's the best way to go about planning and throwing Friday 13th parties? Firstly you'll need some fancy dress items, well if you're into your horror and you should be if you're planning on throwing this kind of party, then you'll remember the unstoppable Jason Voorhees whose murderous rampage and impunity to both bullets and reasoning created a horror franchise that has spawned a series of twelve slasher films to date.

The character of Jason Voorhees is synonymous with an ice hockey mask that he wears to cover his mutilated face and you could use this as starting point for a theme for your Friday 13th parties, perhaps you could do a murder mystery party with the everyone dressed as Jason, but only one is the 'real' Jason and the real killer. Alternatively you could theme your Friday 13th party around bad luck and set up some practical jokes using themed props to pull them off.

Sadly in 2010, there is only one Friday that falls on the 13th of the month; this is, as previously mentioned, in August so you have plenty of time to come up with other ideas and themes based on bad luck, superstition and all the other crazy ideas that are linked to this infamous date. This does, however, afford you plenty of time to think about what you want to do for your Friday 13th parties this year, choosing the theme is important but so are the costumes and props that bring it to life.

Never fear, because finding the right costumes and props to make your Friday 13th parties go off with a bang couldn't be easier, just jump on to the internet and do a quick search for Friday 13th, you'll come face to face with Jason Voorhees himself and this will help you to search further for the right outfits, masks, props and make up from the range of sites available.....Good luck, or should I say bad luck!!

So tempt fate all the way. Make your guests pass under a ladder to get into the party, keep a black cat about the place, make sure there are 13 guests including the hosts and open a few umbrellas about the place. I'd also make sure there are new shoes on the table, you could pick up an old mirror and mark cracks on it with a white candle, put up a picture of one magpie and place horseshoes either up or down depending upon your preference. Peacock feathers and black thorn are both bad luck. On the table you should cross the knives and leave a trail of spilled salt.

All this will ensure your party is the luckiest ever.