According to the Gregorian calendar, Friday the 13th always occurs at least once a year, and in some years, it can appear up to three times. On this day, people often feel anxious and tend to stay indoors. So, where does this fear originate from?
In Western culture, Friday the 13th is considered an extremely unlucky day. Many individuals avoid this day due to numerous unfortunate events that have occurred, instilling fear and apprehension.
There is even a term for the fear of Friday the 13th: “paraskevidekatriaphobia“, where “paraskevi” means Friday, “dekatria” refers to the number 13, and “phobia” indicates fear (from Greek).
The History of Friday the 13th Roots in Religion
Friday
The Great Flood that God used to punish humanity occurred on a Friday, the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday, and notably, the day Jesus Christ was crucified was also a Friday.
The Number 13
The number 13 stems from a legend in Norway about 12 gods feasting in the heavenly hall of Valhalla. An uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous god Loki, appeared. There, Loki secretly conspired with Hoder, the god of darkness, to shoot the beautiful Balder, the god of joy and happiness, with a poisoned arrow. Balder died, plunging the world into darkness and mourning. It was indeed an ill-fated day.
The fear of the number 13 is evident in modern society. Over 80% of high-rise buildings skip the 13th floor. Many airports omit gate 13. Hospitals and hotels frequently lack a room numbered 13.
With such bad luck and ominous connotations, the combination of these two elements—Friday and the number 13—creates a heightened sense of fear.
The phenomenon of three Friday the 13ths in a single year occurs only once every 11 years, according to mathematician Thomas Fernsler from the University of Delaware (USA), who has studied the number 13 for over 20 years.
One reason for the notoriety of 13 is that it follows the number 12. Math experts traditionally view 12 as a complete number: 12 months in a year, 12 gods on Mount Olympus, 12 zodiac signs, 12 animals in the Chinese horoscope, and 12 apostles of Jesus.
On Friday, September 13, 1940, five German bombs struck Buckingham Palace, destroying the chapel within.
Some Stories Related to the “Notorious Day”
The British Royal Navy once launched a ship named Friday the 13th. The ship set sail for the first time on a Friday the 13th and was never seen again.
Apollo 13 was launched at 1:13 PM on April 11, 1970, for its third lunar landing mission. The sum of the last two digits in its launch date (4-11-70) equals 13 (4+1+1+7+0 = 13). The spacecraft suffered an explosion on April 13, 1970 (not a Friday), forcing the crew to return to Earth.
Butch Cassidy, one of America’s most infamous bank and train robbers, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States never traveled on the 13th of any month and never hosted 13 guests at a dinner. Military genius Napoleon Bonaparte and President Herbert Hoover (USA) also feared the number 13.
Napoleon Bonaparte feared the number 13
Author Mark Twain was once the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend advised him not to attend, to which Twain complied, later explaining to his friends: “Unfortunately, they only had enough food for 12 people.”
Woodrow Wilson, who led the United States during World War I, considered 13 his lucky number, although reality proved otherwise. He traveled to Normandy (France) on December 13, 1918, to negotiate peace, only to return with a treaty that Congress did not ratify. Prior to this, his crew advised him to postpone his arrival in France, but he refused. Later, Wilson traveled across the United States advocating for public support for the treaty, nearly losing his life from a stroke on the way.
Buckingham Palace was bombed on Friday, September 13, 1940, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth narrowly escaped death. One person did not survive, and the palace chapel was destroyed.
A Chilean airplane “went missing“ in the Andes on Friday, October 13, 1972.
Rap artist Tupac Shakur died on Friday, September 13, 1996, after being shot six days earlier. The cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the west coast of Italy on Friday, September 13, 1996, resulting in 30 fatalities.
In 1976, Daz Baxter (New York, USA) decided to stay indoors on Friday the 13th to avoid bad luck. However, he died when the floor of his apartment collapsed on that very day. In 2010, a 13-year-old boy was struck by lightning on Friday the 13th at 1:13 PM.
The imagery on the $1 bill includes 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle, and 13 leaves on the olive branch. However, there is no scientific evidence linking these images to the current economic downturn.
Scientific Basis
Research by scientists at the University of Connecticut in New London suggests that excessive belief in superstitions from ancient times has led many people to develop a “default” fear of the phenomenon known as Friday the 13th.
Psychology professor Stuart Vyse from the University of Connecticut states: “If no one told us about the negative superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th, many people would not feel anxious and would carry on their lives as usual. Moreover, this fear has been reinforced through movies, books, and stories, which intensifies the obsession.”
Researcher Rebecca Borah from the University of Cincinnati (USA) also observes: “The superstitions that have persisted for centuries have led people to develop a habit of fear. Currently, we continue to acknowledge and believe that misfortune will occur on Friday the 13th. This habit, this way of thinking, has allowed the fear of Friday the 13th to persist in each person’s mind, making it more entrenched.”
Thus, according to scientists, it is the internal fear within each person that amplifies our anxiety when this day approaches.
Is the Number 13 Really Scary?
In fact, in different cultures, there are often numbers that symbolize bad luck, such as the number 4 in China, the number 9 in Japan, the number 17 in Italy, and the number 26 in India. Conversely, many cultures view the number 13 as lucky, as evidenced by the American flag, which once had 13 red and white stripes and 13 stars. The truth is that Christopher Columbus discovered America on the 13th, not the 12th. In Persian, the number 13 means king and is considered a lucky number. Furthermore, 13 represents the rhythm of nature and the moon.
| Friday the 13th in Western belief is an extremely unlucky and unfortunate day. Many people avoid it due to numerous unfortunate events that have occurred, instilling fear and apprehension. |
