Triskaidekaphobia

Dictionary.com’s hot word of the day was “Triskaidekaphobia”, fear of the No. 13. So why all the hype about Friday the 13th sapping our good luck?

Turns out that Friday was named after one of two Norse goddesses, Freya or Frigga and some traditions consider “Frigga’s Day” to be unlucky.

Many cultures have an issue with 13 and many architects are known to actually omit a 13th floor. The precise circumstances that made Friday and 13 such an intense combination for superstition are unclear, but a study speculates that businesses lose millions of dollars in revenue from phobias of the day. Some possible origins revolve around the Battle of Hastings, the Knights Templar, or the goddess Frigga once again.

Quite a few interesting beliefs and taboos still haunt homes in Eastern Europe as well. Most of these are adhered to automatically, despite the fact that few remember their source or deeper meaning. For instance: never say "thank you" for medicine or it won't work; never shake hands across a threshold… A particularly sinister superstition revolves around counting the calls of the cuckoo bird in the forest to learn the number of years you still have ahead of you.

We all know the general "touch/knock wood" to deter the bad luck of running into a mishap just mentioned, a form of the "never say never" proverb, I guess. In these parts, an alternative to touching/knocking on wood is throwing a pinch of salt behind you or spitting 3 times over your left shoulder to dissuade demons - the former is somewhat of a contradiction on how it is unlucky to spill salt. We all know the one about attracting years of bad luck equal to the pieces of mirror one has shattered. Some superstition is specific to Latvia as the country's roots lie in pagan beliefs, as can be seen from its folklore symbols here: www.cornerstonesworld.com/article/Latvian-Folk-Costumes. The summer solstice or Ligo holds a specific significance for the Latvian people and in many ways even trumps Christmas as a National holiday. Even in contemporary Latvia it is widely believed that couples can temper their love by jumping together over a Ligo bonfire and that he who sleeps on Ligo night (23-24th of June) will be sleepy and unlucky until the next Ligo. Following the midnight celebrations, couples generally part company with their friends and sneak off in the pre-dawn twilight into the musky spring forest “to seek out the magic glowing fern”, the key to perpetual luck and prosperity.

Whatever the source that drives public opinion, it’s certain that, however much we want to believe that rationality informs our decisions, logical and systematic thought has limits and thus, keen businesspeople keep their fingers on the pulse of the consumer to sense the ebb and flow of demand, the driving force of all business.

Editor’s Focus: Eye on Latvian Real Estate (part 2 of 2)

By Oleg K. Temple, October 2009.

Unless you've read part one of this article (and perhaps even if you have), you may think I've gone soft in the head when you read the next phrase: it is a good time to be in Latvia! Sure, prices for real estate have crashed through the basement and (largely due to the 3% VAT increase in January this year with another +2% VAT hike looming in 2010) commodity prices have escaped up the chimney taking consumers' income with them in a puff of smoke.

Read more..

Latvia: Milestones on the Road to Economic Recovery

By Oleg K. Temple, October 2009.

So let's pick up where we left off, thus far we have examined the factors that significantly eroded the competitiveness of Latvia such as unwarranted wage increases and low productivity. We have established that Latvian policy makers under the firm hand and watchful eyes of the IMF, the European Commission and other powers have opted for the high road of domestic discipline and restrained spending while uprooting and eradicating problems that have disharmonized the economy. By choosing to crack down on the problems of the economy and reinforce the foundations for sustained competitiveness, the programme aims to avoid the ephemeral success of floating the Latvian lat, while sweeping the real problems under the rug. Experts agree that for the first time, the young country's government seems to be doing what is actually needed, but is it too little too late? Is there a chance that the crisis will continue to escalate until it boils over and the government buckles to the devaluation sermons of the Scandinavian press?

Read further here.

Editor's Focus on Business

By Oleg K. Temple, September 2009.

This month we're kicking off a new series of articles entitled "Editor's Focus" with the aim of illuminating the dark recesses of business to give you an insight of how experts navigating the dangerous waters of mid- and post-crisis economies are keeping their decks dry. Join me, Oleg K. Temple on a thrilling quest for clarity amidst the chaos and meet the giants that thrive atop the tough, green-leafed beanstalks of business.

Read further here.

The Bane Of Riga’s Restaurants

By Oleg K. Temple, September 2009.

Blatant malpractices and gross breaches of ethics cast a dark, ugly shadow on Riga's restaurant and bar scene threatening the welfare of honest establishments and marring their hard-earned reputations. The government has, thus far, maintained an aloof, taciturn approach to the issue and restaurant owners, whose business interests are at stake, now take matters into their own hands, determined to procure the elixir that stems and eradicates the escalation of fraud and lawlessness in the business.

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RIGA's Phoenix

The House of the Blackheads on Ratslaukums (Town Hall Square) was first built in 1334 by the merchant association the Great Guild and was frequently used by the Town Council of Riga to hold meetings and host celebrations.

In the 15th century it became the meeting place of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, an association of wealthy bachelor merchants. The Brotherhood bought the ownership rights to the building in 1713. The House of the Blackheads was the oldest public building in Riga and one of the most outstanding monuments of the Mannerism age not just in Latvia, but in the entire Baltic region!

Read further here.