Sometimes we can’t help being superstitious. From broken mirrors, white lighters, black cats, spilled salt, etc., it all supposedly can bring bad luck. However, Friday the 13th is the mack-daddy of them all! The most superstitious and freakiest day on the calendar.
Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
There are people out there who won’t even leave their homes on Friday the 13th. There are so many that fear this date, that there is an actual medical name for the condition – Paraskavedekatriaphobia, which means fear of Friday the 13th.
There’s apparently one theory associated with the Bible. Judas betrayed Jesus, and he ended up being the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Perhaps this is why it’s considered unlucky to this day to have 13 people sitting at the dinner table.
The second theory, is a bit more mythical. In a Norse myth, 12 gods were having dinner at Valhalla when a 13th guest arrived unannounced. That guest was Loki, an evil and mischievous god who convinced another one of the gods to kill his brother. Whoa!
These 13th guests have basically made history for their wrongdoings. For example, you sometimes won’t see a 13th floor in a large building, and some planes don’t even have a 13th row. All because it is considered bad luck.
Why is the day Friday so unlucky when there are six other days in a week? Well, Jesus was allegedly crucified on a Friday. Nineteenth-century American tradition also held all executions on Fridays. Which really made Friday a pretty crappy day. Even though in modern times, Friday’s are awesome, because it marks the beginning of the weekend and the end of a work week!
Should we truly be worried about Friday the 13th? Probably not, but you never know…the Universe is a crazy thing!
Upcoming Friday the 13th’s
The first one will be on Sept.13, 2019. The second one will be on Dec. 13, 2019.
…and in 2020 — March 13, 2020 and November 13, 2020.
