Friday the 13th has long been considered an unlucky day, a superstition that has permeated various cultures and societies around the world. The fear of this date, known as paraskevidekatriaphobia (honest), usually shortened to triskaidekaphobia in common parlance, is a complex phenomenon with historical, religious, and cultural roots. To understand why Friday the 13th is deemed unlucky, we delve into the origins and evolution of the superstition.
The number 13 has been considered unlucky for centuries, even before the advent of Christianity. In ancient Norse mythology, a well-known tale involves a banquet in Valhalla attended by 12 gods. The trickster god Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the 13th guest and caused chaos, leading to the death of the beloved god Balder. This story contributed to the notion that 13 guests at a gathering is bad luck.
In Christianity, the number 13 is also seen as ominous. At the Last Supper, Jesus dined with his 12 apostles, making the total number of attendees 13. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, is often considered the 13th guest. Additionally, Jesus was crucified on a Friday, which led to the day being associated with misfortune and sorrow.
And don’t forget the gruesome events of Friday 13th, 1307 when the King of France, jealous of the wealth of the Knights Templar and furious because they did not support him, arrested members of the Templar order en masse. They were charged with heresy, their prosecutors making spurious accusations of idol worship and obscenity. Many were sentenced to imprisonment or burned at the stake. This story is, of course, reminiscent of that of Starmer and the Pensioners. The main difference being that burning at the stake is now forbidden as it has too high a carbon footprint. Freezing to death is now deemed more appropriate.
The fear of Friday the 13th is not only based on religious beliefs. In the Middle Ages, Friday was often considered an unlucky day to begin new ventures or journeys, and for hundreds of years ship’s Captains found excuses to stay in port on Friday, and there are even reports of ship’s crews threatening mutiny if a Friday sailing was proposed. The well-known sailors’ song the Mermaid tells the tale:
It was Friday the 13th when we set sail
And our ship not so very far from land,
When the Captain he spied a mermaid so fair,
With a glass and a comb in her hand.
As every sailor knows, the sighting of a Mermaid spells imminent doom, and doom is what happens next:
Then three time round spun our gallant ship
And three time round spun she,
Three time round spun our gallant ship
And she sank to the bottom of the sea.
The superstition was enhanced by the fact that (highly popular) public executions were commonly held on Fridays, further cementing the day's association with bad luck. Friday was often referred to as ‘hangman’s day’.
Many swear that the line in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written between 1387 and 1400, saying “And on a Friday fell all this mischance” must have been a 13th as well.
Nearer our own time, a series of mischances have occurred on Friday 13th. In December 1916, for example, on the Italian Front of World War One, on ‘White Friday’, thousands of soldiers died in the Dolomites from avalanches. On Mount Marmolada alone, 270 soldiers died when an avalanche struck an Austro-Hungarian base. Elsewhere, avalanches struck Austro-Hungarian and Italian positions.
Closer to our own time a prominent example is the fate of NASA’s Apollo 13 mission, launched at 13:13 on 4/11/70 (the sum of the first two digits totals 13), never landed on the moon as intended because of an explosion in one of its oxygen tanks on – you guessed it – April 13th! The crew returned safely back to Earth, but for the superstitious, the mission was obviously jinxed because of its close association with the number 13.
That number has been stigmatised in various cultures. For example, many buildings skip the 13th floor, labelling it as the 14th instead. Similarly, some airlines avoid having a 13th row on their planes. And who can blame them? Just imagine the horror of flying out on a Friday and finding yourself in row 13!
In the 20th century, the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th was popularised and sensationalised by the entertainment media. The release of the horror film "Friday the 13th" in 1980, which spawned a successful franchise, played a significant role in embedding the date into popular culture as a day of dread and fear.
Psychologists suggest that the fear of Friday the 13th can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. When people expect bad things to happen, they may be more likely to notice and remember negative events, thus reinforcing their belief in the superstition.
Friday 13th may be regarded as an unlucky day, but there’s no avoiding it. The occasion of the thirteenth day of the month falling on a Friday happens once every year at the very least but can take place three times in one year. You might not be fearful of Friday 13th, but maybe you should be. A 2004 report by National Geographic included a claim that the fear of travelling and conducting business on the day contributed to hundreds of millions of pounds of “lost” business, and a 1993 report in the British Medical Journal similarly claimed that an increase in accidents may take place on Friday 13th.
The belief that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day is a multifaceted phenomenon with deep historical, religious, and cultural roots. From ancient myths and religious narratives to societal practices and modern media, various factors have contributed to the enduring superstition, which continues to hold a significant place in the collective consciousness, influencing behaviours and perceptions around the world.
One place where triskaidekaphobia is unknown however, is China, and just look at the mess they are in. Whether one views it as a day of misfortune or just another date on the calendar, Friday the 13th remains a fascinating example of how myths and beliefs can shape human experience. Maybe we need Xandra H to analyse triskaidekaphobia from a psychiatrist’s point of view.
So, take no chances today, venture out only if unavoidable and check in regularly for updates on any catastrophes. And judging the lunacy of our ‘leaders’ World War Three could easily break out today!