Superstitions
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Superstitious About Friday the 13?
Do you run for cover on Friday the 13th? Or do you celebrate and look for some good fortune?
Why Are We Afraid of
Friday the 13th?
Do you believe Friday The 13th to be unlucky ? If so, then keep yourself out of catastrophe by not walking under open ladders, keep black cats from crossing your path or don't break a mirror. And don't forget to send these fun good luck wishes to your pals as well.
In the Bible the numbers 7, 12 and 40 have symbolic meaning and appear throughout the Old and New Testaments. The number 12 is considered a lucky number. Consequently, the number, which follows 12, was thought to be evil. The number 13, in the Christian faith, is the number of parties at the Last Supper, with the 13th guest at the table being the traitor, Judas. When Christians combine this day and number, the combination can only hold special significance.
Known scientifically as "Tridecaphobia," fear of the number 13 is probably the most common of all superstitions. Buildings avoid numbering the 13th floor. Airplanes avoid the 13th aisle. And almost every North American knows that Friday the 13th is considered a bad luck day.
As we have stated in other parts of this site... if you believe it, it will be... so if you believe that Friday the 13th is unlucky, it will be... on the other hand, for me, Friday the 13th has always brought good luck!
For most folks, Friday the thirteenth is considered the unluckiest of days, unless you were born on Friday the 13. If you were born on this day then Friday the 13 is your lucky day.
The origins of Friday superstitions are many. One of the best known is that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. Tradition also has it that the Flood in the Bible, the confusion at the Tower of Babel, and the death of Jesus Christ all took place on Friday.
The modern basis for the Friday the 13th superstition stems from Friday October the 13th, 1307. On this date, the Pope of the church in Rome in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant against "the Knights Templar". The Templars were terminated as heretics, never again to hold the power that they had held for so long. There Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested and before he was killed, was tortured and crucified. A Black Friday indeed!
Long before the Bible was written, Friday was considered an important day. Primitive people set aside Fridays as a special time to worship their deities and ask them for good crops, health and happiness. Those who worked on this day were told not to expect "good luck" from the gods. (See our superstitions on the Days of the Week)
The day Friday was named after Frigg (or Frigga), the Norse goddess of marriage. Later she was confused with the goddess of love, Freya, who in turn became identified with Friday. When the Norsemen and Germanic tribes became Christians, Freya was supposed to have been banished to the mountains as a witch.
Friday came to be called "witches' Sabbath." For it was believed that on this day, each week, twelve witches and the Devil met - thirteen evil spirits up to no good! This is one of the reasons for today's superstition about Friday the 13th.
The Scandinavian belief that the number 13 signified bad luck sprang from their mythological 12 demigods, who were joined by a 13th demigod, Loki, an evil cruel one, who brought upon humans great misfortune.
A call to those who fear the number 13...
We're from Denmark , Scandinavia , and we're doing research for a documentary about the unlucky number 13 and how it has become a part of contemporary America. We look for people, or whole families, who believe that the number 13 means bad luck and who dread Friday the 13th. People who don't leave their house on that date or performs certain rituals to avoid bad things happening in relation to Friday the 13th or the number 13 in general. We would like to know if you by any chance are able to help us in our search for these people.
Best regards,
Jan Dirchsen and Karen Therkelsen
Documentary Department
Easy Film
DenmarkOur Team Responds:
I have no fear of the 13th in fact believe it to be lucky. I met my husband when he lived in a place with the number 13 as the address. Good luck with your research. I have never known anyone with a phobia that strong. Best Wishes, Victoria
Like Victoria, I have always found Friday the 13th and the number 13 to be lucky. Back in the 70's I was transferred by Imperial Oil (Exxon) from Toronto to Edmonton, Alberta.... in the midst of the oil boom.... vacancy rates were less than .001%. I had camped with my six-year old for 10 weeks by this point, while working full time and trying to find us a place to live in between times. We were desperate for a hot bath, a real bed and a stove to make an easy cup of tea... day after day we searched... nothing, nothing, nothing.... then came Friday the 13th... a beautiful sunny day... I opened the paper with the thought that today, being Friday the 13th, I would find the perfect home for us... and there it was.... shared accommodation at 9909 159th St... we moved in by nightfall. Our home for the next three years. There have been other instances in my life of the lucky 13, but this was the most dramatic! Lotsa LLLove, Danielle
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