Friday the 13th is often considered an unlucky day in Western superstition, and it happens at least once every year.
At certain points in our lives, we’ve all been stuck with the superstition of Friday the 13th, which is considered an unlucky day. It takes place when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar happens to be a Friday. While the occurrence happens at least once every year, there can be up to three occurrences of Friday the 13th in the same year.
While we are aware that it’s considered an inauspicious day, the origins of this superstition are rather interesting. In fact, while the belief that Friday the 13th brings bad luck is a modern phenomenon, its origins have a historical, religious, and cultural significance.
In Western cultures, the day of Friday is considered to be an unlucky day, mostly because it is associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In Christianity, Jesus is believed to be crucified on a Friday, which makes it a day of penance and sorrow.
Meanwhile, there’s another story related to it. As per the National Geographic Kids, in the Bible, Judas Iscariot, who is said to have betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Based on the story of the Last Supper of Jesus, 13 people were seated at the table. While the day of the Last Supper was Thursday, Jesus is said to have been arrested that evening, and crucified on Friday the next day. There’s another theory around the Norse myth that trickster god Loki, the 13th guest, was the one who led to chaos at a dinner party in Valhalla.
While both Friday and the number 13 13 have been considered unlucky over ages, the combination of both elements might have gained momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and now considered a symbol of bad fortune.
In Thomas Lawson’s 1907 novel ‘Friday the Thirteenth’, a stockbroker takes advantage of superstition to cause a market crash. Furthermore, the horror film franchise, Friday the 13th, further popularised the day and date’s association with fear and bad luck.
In current times, most people fear the consequences of superstition, and avoid doing business or taking big decisions on the day. In fact, the fear of Friday the 13th is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, and it can lead people to act more cautiously with a constant fear of reeling misfortune. Nonetheless, whether the day actually brings bad luck or not remains a personal belief, but over the years, it’s become a proof of how people believe in superstitions.
