13 13 13 13 13

Here’s a tidbit of information that certainly is keeping some End-of-the-World doomsters up into the wee hours of the morning: Besides being the last year of our existence, 2012 has three – that’s right, you can count ‘em – Fridays the 13^th. We just survived January 13^th, a Friday, and we can look forward to April’s Friday the 13^th and July’s Friday the 13^th.

And, before you let those goose bumps go down, the three 2012 Fridays the 13^th – are you ready for this? – are 13 weeks apart! Are you kidding me! Zowie! That’s just…well, apocalyptic.

A mathematics professor from the University of Delaware, Tom Fernsler says that ordinary years have two Fridays the 13^th. That the three Fridays the 13^th in 2012 are spaced 13 weeks apart is just apocalyptic gravy on our Armageddon meatloaf.

Looking ahead, 2015 – if there is going to be a 2015! – will have three Fridays the 13^th (February, March and November), but they will not have the eerie 13 week time span between them. Of course, since 2012 and 2015 have three each, 2014 and 2016 only get one each.

Looking back, 2009 had three Fridays the 13^th and looking even further down the road, 2026 and 2037 both have three. But here’s the really eerie part: in addition to 2015, 2009, 2026 and 2037 all have the February, March, November configuration. Only 2012 has the January, April, July pattern; 13, 13, 13, 13, 13.

And, of course, that means End of Days!

Not!