Have you ever heard of paraskevidekatriaphobia? Have you ever felt a tingle up your spine when you look at a calendar and see the somewhat dreaded phenomenon of Friday the 13th? Do you slow down and watch for all potential hazards, both seen and unseen, just to ensure your safety when merely existing from sun up to sun down on that fateful date? If so, you’re likely a believer in the superstitious!
It seems as natural as breathing to feel eerie when Friday the 13th appears on our calendars, but where exactly did the fear come from? What strikes a feeling of panic and unease in our hearts when the date rolls around? Is it especially fearsome to experience a Friday the 13th in October, and if so, is that something we’ve added as lovers of spooky season? No matter what, we’re getting the best (or worst) of both worlds as Friday the 13th is taking place smack dab in the middle of the monthlong celebration of Halloween, and we’re sort of excited about it. The curiosity in our hearts is piqued, and we’re diving into everything haunted, uneasy, and spine-tingling about the date.
So gather ’round, friends, and let’s get spooky.
Why is Friday the 13th considered an unlucky day?
The origins of Friday the 13th being spooky are vast; many breathed into life before any semblance of today’s existence ever began. In the pop culture realm, however, the origins are more recent, kicking off in the 1980s with the birth of masked slasher Jason Voorhees; the film franchise Friday the 13th helped to cement an already existing fear that nothing good happens when that date falls upon a calendar, especially for teenagers and young adults.
It’s impossible to think about Friday the 13th without seeing Voorhees’ mask in your mind, and much like the Halloween franchise, it goes without saying that the title of the film was a phenomenal way to ensure that each time the date rolls around, people want to rewatch those slasher films again.
CNN reports that Friday the 13th isn’t a universally spooky date, with some countries believing in different superstitions:
“In Greece and Spanish-speaking countries, it is Tuesday the 13th that is considered a day of bad luck, while in Italy, it is Friday the 17th that is met with fear.”
So why, in our Western culture, do we believe that Friday the 13th is such a spook-tastic event on the calendar? Some believe that the “curse” is traced back to Norse mythology, and I’m not sure about you, but mythology classes were my favorite to take when I was in school, with some of the most interesting coursework I’ve ever done.
“Charles Panati traces the concept of the cursed back to Norse mythology, when Loki, the god of mischief, gate-crashed a banquet in Valhalla, bringing the number of gods in attendance to 13. Deceived by Loki, the blind god Hodr was tricked into shooting his brother Balder, the god of light, joy and goodness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow, killing him instantly.”
Trickster Loki causing a ruckus, be it in mythology or the Marvel Cinematic Universe — it feels fitting that he’d have something to do with Friday the 13th being so spooky. Of course, there are other places where people believe the superstition to have started, with Christians believing it had to do with the Last Supper and the days leading to the death of Jesus Christ. Judas was the 13th guest to arrive at the Last Supper, and we all know the story of what Judas did to Jesus.
“From Scandinavia, Panati explains, the superstition then spread south throughout Europe, becoming well-established along the Mediterranean by the start of the Christian era. It was here that the unsettling power of the numerals was cemented through the story of the Last Supper, which was attended by Jesus Christ and his disciples on Maundy Thursday. The 13th and most infamous guest to arrive, Judas Iscariot, was the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on Good Friday.”
So the idea of Friday the 13th being spooky goes back, well, to the beginning of time, and maybe that’s what helps make it all so spooky: the idea that despite age, circumstance, sex, or the time frame in which people have existed, we’ve all found a reason to tiptoe into the calendar date; something has always been unnerving about it.
Some of the biggest Friday the 13th superstitions explained
What other superstitions go hand in hand with Friday the 13th? Well, there are plenty; in fact, you can create your own as long as you’re mixing two spooky ideas and walking under a ladder on Friday the 13th. No thanks! Would you dare break a mirror when the date on the calendar already sends chills up your spine? We think not.
Don’t step on a crack; the odds of breaking your mother’s back feel heightened somehow, and don’t even consider going outside at all if you’re already experiencing a heap of bad luck; you know what they say about it coming in threes; and we think bad luck that appears on Friday the 13th would be worse than any old regular lousy luck you’d happen upon.
For those who aren’t superstitious, it’s just another day on the calendar for you, but for those who believe in the spooky being a little more unnerving on Friday the 13th, we’re sending good vibes your way!