The History and Nature of Friday the 13th
The belief in Friday the 13th bringing bad luck has deep historical and cultural roots. In Christianity, the day’s inauspicious reputation stems from the Last Supper, where Judas, the 13th guest, betrayed Jesus, leading to His crucifixion on a Friday. Similarly, in Norse mythology, Loki, the 13th god, introduced chaos and death. This superstition was further reinforced when the Knights Templar were mass-arrested on Friday, October 13th, 1307. This is prepared by SSP.
However, there is no absolute clarity about why Friday the 13th is seen as unlucky. Moira Marsh from the University of Indiana Bloomington notes that in the early 20th century, it wasn't considered unlucky in England. Both Moira Marsh and Stephen Winick from the American Folklife Center highlight that early mentions of its bad luck are sparse and speculative. Earliest references were in 19th-century French literature, associating both Friday and the 13th as unlucky separately before linking them together more prevalently in popular culture.
The notorious date next falls in December 2024, followed by another occurrence in June 2025. To navigate the day, people tend to avoid actions believed to attract bad luck. These include breaking mirrors (bringing seven years of bad fortune), walking under ladders (thought to disrupt life's symbolic triangle), spilling salt (considered to attract evil, counteracted by tossing salt over the left shoulder), crossing paths with black cats (associated with witches and bad omens), and stepping on cracks (believed to bring bad energy).
On the flip side, some rituals are construed to attract good luck or ward off evil on such a fateful day. For instance, carrying a lucky charm like a four-leaf clover, horseshoe, or a rabbit's foot, and knocking on wood to prevent jinxes are common practices.
In various cultures, different days bear negative connotations. For instance, in Italy, Friday the 17th is seen as unlucky. In Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday the 13th holds a similar belief due to its association with the god of war. Additionally, ancient Greek culture and its mathematical tenets influence their perception. The reluctance surrounding number 13 could be due to 12 being an evenly divisible, mathematically significant number whereas 13 is not.
In essence, beliefs about unlucky days stem from humanity's quest to explain and control life's unpredictabilities. Despite different cultures citing varied reasons or historical anecdotes, the concept of unlucky days resonates widely across the world due to shared narratives and the human need for explanations.
