Demystifying the Superstition Revolving Around Friday the 13th & The Number 13
By: Swati Suman
Tags: Fear, History, Thoughts, Education, Culture

Friday the 13th —

For ages, Friday the 13th has been considered a sign of bad luck. It is regarded as the unlucky day in Western superstition.

As per the Gregorian Calendar, the day occurs when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday that happens once every year; however, it can also occur three times the same year. For example, three Friday the 13th took place in 2015 (February, March, November), the year 2018 had two (April and July), and the upcoming year 2021 will have one Friday the 13th.

Scientifically, the absurd fear of the number 13 is named triskaidekaphobia, and by establishing an analogy, the fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Reports mentioned that between 9% to 13% of the U.S population believes that Friday the 13th is genuinely an unlucky day. Some people are so paralyzed by the fear of this day that they end up avoiding their normal day-to-day activities like going for a walk, taking a flight, or even waking up from the bed. In some cases, irrational fear of this day also resulted in financial losses of over $900 million annually, as people avoid traveling, marrying, and in the worst cases, even working.

Some folklorists cited no written evidence about Friday the 13th being unlucky before the 19th century. However, the date has inspired a late 19th-century secret society, an early 20th-century novel, and a horror film franchise that reasonably marks the day as unlucky.

The Fear of 13 —

For centuries we have been wary about the number 13, just like we fear a black cat crossing our path, the breaking of a mirror, or walking under a ladder.

Similarly, buildings and condominiums had been built with 10th or 12th, or 14th floors, but people doubted when it turned to the number 13. Even certain airlines opt-out from having the 13th row or fixing any auspicious occasion takes a backseat when the number 13 try greeting the event.

Scared, some people even hold fast on this day because they believe Friday the 13th is a bad omen. Although it’s uncertain when this tradition began, for centuries negative connotations have always circulated the number 13. In fact, we all respect and fear the number 13.

Historically, the number 12 has been associated with completeness. The ancient Sumerians produced a numeral system based on the number 12 that we still use today for measuring time. Calendars have 12 months, zodiac signs are 12 in number, the days are halved by two sets of 12, there are 12 Olympian Gods, 12 days of Christmas known as Twelvetide, and more.

However, the successor 13 is always considered sinister, signifying a long history of bad luck.

The Revolving Myths —

An early myth surrounding the origin of fear arises from one of the world's ancient legal documents, the Code of Hammurabi, that omitted the 13th law from the list of its standard rules. However, in reality, the omission was simply because of a clerical error. The code does not numerically list the laws.

The other two popular theories behind the number’s unlucky connotation revolve around the ancient times' appearance of the 13th guest at the two events.

In the Bible, Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot, who was the 13th guest to arrive at the Last Supper that took place on the 13th day of the month and the crucifixion occurred on Friday the 13th. The sitting arrangement at the Last Supper has given rise to superstition in the Christian tradition that having 13 guests around a table is a sign of a bad omen; mostly, it invites death.

Another ancient Norse mythology states that the initial evilness and turmoil in the world was caused by the appearance of the treacherous and sinful God Loki at a dinner party in Valhalla. He was the 13th guest to be present at the party.

The English Egyptologist Margaret Murray, in her work The Witch-Cult in Western Europe (1921), states that a coven of witch consists of 12 members and a devil as a leader, thus making the unlucky 13. The number is referred to as a parody of Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples.

Even in Space, the number 13 is found as unlucky. In 1970 the Apollo Space Program was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre. Apollo 13, the seventh manned mission lunar landing was aborted after the oxygen tank exploded. However, six days later, the astronauts were lucky to return to the earth with their lives intact.

In traditional tarot decks, the 13th card in the deck is Death. To draw a death card necessarily doesn’t mean that we are going to die straight away. Instead, death in the tarot card symbolizes change, re-birth, and creation. But, if you draw the card on the 13th day of the month, you happen to be superstitious, think of 13 as unlucky, and owe negative thoughts, then certainly your day will envelope unlucky vibes.

It is possible that the famous novel — Friday the Thirteenth in 1907 by Thomas William Lawson contributed to the superstition. In 1980 a horror movie was released named Friday the 13th that introduced the world to a killer named Jason. The movie is perhaps regarded as the best example of superstition in the history of modern culture.

Some other worst events denoting the negative side of Friday the 13th include:

On September 13, 1940, the Nazis dropped bombs on the Buckingham Palace during the Blitz attacks of World War II.

On November 13, 1970, a natural disaster killed thousands of people because of the cyclone that hit Bangladesh.

On January 13, 1989, the widespread computer crash or “Friday the 13th virus” infected hundreds of computers in England. It caused anxiety among people over the lost files and instilled fear about the new-technology.

Though Friday's negative association is weaker, however, the historic past cites that: Jesus was crucified on Friday, Clain killed his brother Abel on Friday, Eve tempted Adam with an Apple on Friday, and the great floods occurred on this day. Thus, Fridays in historical and theological texts usually signify bad news.

The Positive Reflection —

The unexplained fear concerning number 13 is primarily a Western construct. When we travel down the times of history, the number, however, isn't entirely unlucky.

The US's former flag had 13 red and white stripes and 13 stars that symbolized the initial 13 colonies that founded the country.

In some cultures like that of the ancient Egyptians considered the number fortuitous, few Asian regions fear the number 4. The Japanese avoid the number 9, and in Italy, Friday the seventeenth is regarded as the unluckiest. In different parts of the world, varying perceptions exist regarding the myths.

In Sikhism, the number 13 is a special number that means “yours” or “I am yours, My Lord” and is regarded as divinely lucky. Many factors like the traditional practices, religions preached, cultural dominance, and more provide a basis for the emergence of diverse theories.

In ancient cultures, the number 13 represents Feminity because it corresponds to the number of lunar cycles in a year. Only when the solar calendar triumphed over the lunar, the number became an anathema. In the Coperos religion, a small culture in Brazil, the number 13 is considered Godly and can save humankind. The number is also a representation of the life cycle and the rhythm of nature and the moon.