Friday the 13th curse? Why this infamous day still terrifies millions across the globe

Time of India

21 hours ago

If you're feeling a strange tingle of doom this month, check your calendar; there's a
Friday the 13th
approaching.
Some laugh it off, while others actually hide indoors. But fear of this day is more than just bad luck; it's rooted in history, myth, and some truly bizarre facts.
Since the Middle Ages, when there were mass murders, people have believed in superstitions about this date. Whether rooted in fear or folklore, it continues to unsettle many around the world.
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Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
"People begin referring to it as unfortunate without providing an explanation. According to Stephen Winick, a folklore specialist at the American Folklife Center at The Library of Congress, "you get all kinds of weird theories about why Friday the 13th is unlucky."
Here are the reasons why Friday the 13th is a terrible day, as per reports by NPR and Reading Eagle.
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Some people believe that Friday the 13th is unlucky because Judas was the thirteenth guest at the
Last Supper
or because the Knights Templar were condemned on that day. However, experts are uncertain about the truth of those claims, according to a report.
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Stephen Winick first encountered references to Friday the 13th being unlucky in French plays and literature.
In the 1834 play Les Finesses des Gribouilles, a character states, "I was born on a Friday, December 13th, 1813 from which come all of my misfortunes."
Marquis de Salvo discussed a father who killed his daughter on Friday the 13th in the French literary journal Revue de Paris, writing, "It is always Fridays and the number thirteen that bring
bad luck
."
Due to the fact that Friday was the day of crucifixion, Fridays have historically been regarded as unlucky days in the English-speaking world and most likely throughout Europe since the Middle Ages. Although the Bible doesn't say if the crucifixion happened on a Friday the 13th. Every Friday was a day of penance in the old Catholic tradition.
Where did this superstition even come from?
Since 13 was regarded as a lucky number because of its association with the 13 people at the Last Supper, the notion that it is an unlucky number only emerged in the 17th century.
Such notions were outlawed as superstitious after the Reformation, and what was once regarded as a good number was now viewed as a bad one.
Many people experience anxiety and fear on Friday the 13th, as some people think it's an axis of evil. As the evil Judas joined the twelve demigods of mythology, the Scandinavians considered 13 to be unlucky.
It has been mentioned that the Last Supper had thirteen guests and that Christ was crucified on a Friday. Judas, one of the greatest villains in history, was the thirteenth guest.
As there are 12 tribes in Israel, the number 12 is lucky, while the number 13 is unlucky. In Roman culture, witches were thought to congregate in groups of twelve, with a thirteenth witch being regarded as the devil.
During the Middle Ages, when King Philip IV of France tortured thousands of Knights Templars as heretics, Friday the 13th became a day of
superstition
and terror. The date of this one-day torture was October 13, 1307.
Chaucer alludes to Friday the 13th as a day of writer's block, and literature describes it as a day of spine-tingling bad luck.
Since many public hangings occurred on Fridays, Friday is known as the Day of the Hangman and 13 is linked to the death penalty in British culture. It was bad luck for the person who had to make the last step of the gallows to meet the hangman.
What are some real events tied to Friday the 13th?
During World War I, avalanches brought on by heavy snowfall and an abrupt thaw killed thousands of soldiers in the Dolomites on Dec. 13, 1916, also known as White Friday.
On October 13, 1972, a Russian airliner crashed close to Moscow, killing 174 people. Twelve people died instantly in an Andean plane crash, and survivors turned to cannibalism.
On July 13, 1979, after a string of bad incidents, which included falling through a glass door, losing his job, and hurting his wife by accident, Bob Renphrey decided to stay in bed on Fridays the 13th going forward.
A 13-year-old boy in Suffolk, England, was struck by lightning at 1:13 p.m. on August 13, 2010, but he miraculously survived unharmed.
Due to their long-standing negative connotations, Friday and the number 13 can cause phobias in those who suffer from anxiety disorders. Ritualistic behaviours like eating garlic, hanging shoes outside windows, and going around a room thirteen times on Friday the 13th are examples of how this fear shows up.
Due to these cultural and historical connotations, Friday and the number 13 are associated with fear and hatred.
FAQs
Was Friday the 13th always considered unlucky?
No, superstition only became popular in the twentieth century. Previously, Fridays and the number 13 were considered unlucky individually, but not together.
Has anything really bad happened on Friday the 13th?
Yes, from tragic plane crashes to avalanche deaths during World War I, history has some chilling coincidences associated with the date.