Today's the day a surprising number of Americans are said to become so anxious that they delay travel, put off momentous decisions or become so paralyzed with fear they refuse to get out of bed -- simply because it's Friday the 13th.

For some folks, the anxiety may be doubly severe given that the year is 2013.

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For Margaret Downey, the vivacious founder of the Freethought Society of Philadelphia, Friday the 13th is an opportunity to throw a party.

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Campily dressed as a nurse, Downey, 63, will be offering a "cure for friggatriskaidekaphobia," better known as the fear of Friday the 13th, at a makeshift treatment clinic. Party-goers can also expect a lot of dancing indoors with open umbrellas, breaking mirrors and walking under ladders.