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Ah, Friday the 13th! The day that sends shivers down the spines of the superstitious, and the harbinger of dread for those who dare venture outdoors. It’s a day when people tip-toe around ladders, avoid black cats, and knock on wood like they’re auditioning for the world’s quietest percussion band. But why is this particular day considered so unlucky? Join us on a fun journey through history to uncover the origins of the fear behind Friday the 13th.
The exact reasons for the trepidation associated with Friday the 13th are about as clear as mud. Some say it’s because Friday is considered unlucky in some cultures, while others attribute it to the number 13 being regarded as ominous. Put the two together, and you’ve got a double whammy of bad luck, or so the theory goes.
Sailors avoid going to sea on a Friday (Pobytov/Getty Images)
Friday: A Day of Misfortune
The fear of Friday is also known by a scientific name: paraskevidekatriaphobia, which comes from the Greek words for “Friday” and “fear”. The notion that Friday is unlucky has its roots in various superstitions:
Friday is the day when Jesus was crucified, which is also known as Good Friday.
Friday is also the day when Eve gave Adam the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, according to some biblical interpretations.
Sticking with the bible, it is also the day when Cain killed his brother Abel, the first murder in human history, according to some biblical interpretations.
Additionally, some old maritime superstitions held that embarking on a sea voyage on a Friday would invite disaster. That’s why sailors often opted to wait until Saturday, which they believed was a safer day for setting sail. So, if you’re looking for nautical adventure on a Friday, you might want to reconsider.
An unlucky 13 at The Last Supper (Sedmak/Getty Images)
The Number 13: A Sign of Bad Luck
Let’s address the fear of the number 13. It’s known as triskaidekaphobia, which sounds more like a mutant superhero’s weakness than a superstition. There’s no definitive explanation for this fear, but it’s been around for centuries:
The ancient Greeks thought that 12 was the perfect number (consider the 12 Olympian gods, 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, and so on), so 13 disrupted this harmony, making it inherently unlucky.
Ancient Norse mythology tells a story of a banquet of 12 gods in Valhalla, the hall of the slain. The party was crashed by a 13th uninvited guest, Loki, the trickster god, who caused chaos and mischief. He also arranged the death of one of the gods, Balder, by making him vulnerable to a mistletoe arrow.
Speaking of dinner parties, the number 13 also has negative connotations in Christianity, as it is the number of guests who attended the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with his 12 apostles before his crucifixion. Some Christians believe that having 13 people at a table is a bad omen, and that one of them will die within a year
The ancient Babylonians omitted the number 13 from their legal code, the Code of Hammurabi, which dates back to around 1772 BC1. Some historians believe that this was a clerical error, but others think that it was a deliberate choice to avoid the unlucky number.
Friday the 13th: A Deadly Combination
The combination of Friday and the 13th is a double whammy of bad luck, according to some superstitions. The first recorded reference to this date as being unlucky dates back to the 19th century, after the death of the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who died on a Friday the 13th in 1868.
Since then, Friday the 13th has been associated with many tragic and unfortunate events, such as:
The Black Friday fires in Australia, which killed 71 people and destroyed thousands of buildings on Friday, January 13, 1939.
The German bombing of Buckingham Palace during World War II, which damaged the royal residence and killed one member of the staff on Friday, September 13, 1940.
The crash of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which stranded 16 survivors in the Andes mountains for 72 days, forcing them to resort to cannibalism, on Friday, October 13, 1972.
The “Friday the 13th virus”, which infected hundreds of IBM computers in Britain, deleting all the data from their hard disks, on Friday, January 13, 1989.
Venus in Pompeii (iSailorr/Getty Images)
Friday the 13th: A Lucky Break?
Despite all the doom and gloom surrounding Friday the 13th, some people believe that this day can actually bring good luck and fortune.
Friday is the day of the goddess Venus, who was the Roman counterpart of Frigga. Venus was the goddess of love, beauty and pleasure, and some people honor her on this day by indulging in romance, art and entertainment.
The number 13 is a sacred and powerful number in some cultures and religions, such as Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Wicca. It represents unity, harmony, completion and transformation, and some people use it as a symbol of positive change and growth.
Friday the 13th is a rare and special occurrence, as it only happens about once or twice a year, on average. Some people see this as an opportunity to celebrate and make the most of this unique day, by doing something fun, adventurous or meaningful.
Friday the 13th: The Final Verdict
Fast forward to the 20th century, and Friday the 13th finally got its big break in the horror genre thanks to a certain hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding, fictional character named Jason Voorhees. The “Friday the 13th” film franchise transformed a simple superstition into a cultural phenomenon, forever cementing the day in our collective psyche as a time of slashers and screams. So, whether it’s black cats, broken mirrors, or the idea that a hockey mask might come hurtling towards your face, Friday the 13th has a little something to scare everyone.
In the end, the fear of Friday the 13th is a curious and amusing part of our cultural heritage. Whether you’re a fervent believer in the superstition or just enjoy watching the suspenseful horror films that bear its name, it’s all in good fun. So, the next time Friday the 13th rolls around, whether you are a triskaidekaphobe or a triskaidekaphile, a paraskevidekatriaphobe or a paraskevidekatriaphile, or somewhere in between, we wish you a happy and lucky Friday the 13th!
