apophrades hemerai
In ancient Athens, the apophrades hemerai were the unlucky daysassociated, mainly, with the last days of the lunar month before thearrival of a new moon. Certain kinds of activities were shunned onthose days. Public business ceased and people refrained from newundertakings. We know, also, that the oracle could not be consultedthen, for Plutarch recounts a story about Alexander the Great trying todo so. As if to tempt the wrath of the gods, the poet Kinesias hosted aclub that purposely met for feasts on these days. The popularobservance of Friday the 13th in modern times has its origins intraditions such as this.