Reason Friday the 13th 'curse' started and why date is deemed so unlucky
Friday 13th is considered to be the unluckiest day on the calendar - but many people have no idea how it became such a dreaded date and about the 'cursed' events that have happened in the past on this date
The infamous Friday 13th is often regarded as the most ill-fated date on the calendar - yet many are still puzzled about its origins. This sparked a social media query: "Explain like I'm five: Why is Friday the 13th considered bad luck? I'm familiar with the movies, but when/where/how/why did "Friday the 13th" get its bad rap?".
The number 13's unlucky reputation is rooted in a Norse myth, which tells the story of 12 gods hosting a dinner party in Valhalla. However, the trickster god Loki crashed the party as the uninvited 13th guest, orchestrating the death of the god of joy, Balder, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.
This event supposedly triggered widespread suffering, thus rendering the number 13 unlucky. Christians also consider the number 13 inauspicious due to its connection to Jesus's Last Supper and crucifixion, where 13 people were present on the 13th of Nisan Maundy Thursday.
Friday 13th, in particular, gained notoriety as an unlucky day only after the 19th century. It is believed that a series of unfortunate events occurring on various Friday 13ths contributed to this superstition.
One such event, as reported by History.com, took place on Friday, October 13, 1307, when King Philip IV of France's officers arrested hundreds of Knights Templar, a powerful military and religious order established in the 12th century to defend the Holy Land.
Accusations of varying illicit activities landed many Templars in prison. While it's believed that the king's true motive was to gain control over their wealth, a number of them were subsequently executed.
This historical event has been linked by some to the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th, although the full truth behind these legends is still unclear.
Modern history has seen its share of tragedies on Friday the 13th as well, including events such as the German bombing of Buckingham Palace during September 1940; Kitty Genovese's brutal slaying in Queens, New York, in March 1964; an immensely destructive cyclone in Bangladesh claiming over 300,000 lives in November 1970; the loss of a Chilean Air Force plane in the Andes come October 1972; the death of rapper Tupac Shakur in September 1996; and the Costa Concordia cruise liner disaster near Italy's coast, which led to 30 deaths in January 2012.
A Reddit user weighed in on the subject stating: "It's a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus, which took place on a Friday. He was betrayed by one of the attendants of the Last Supper, famously being the 13th person at that table."
Supplementing this viewpoint, another user mentioned: "Its been my understanding that Friday the 13th was the day Phillip the Fair took down the Order of the Knights Templar."
Another chimed in with the remark: "It is the date in which the leading members of the Knight Templars were arrested in France."
So do you believe in the superstition? Don't forget to leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Daily Record
2 days ago
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The real reason Friday the 13th is believed to be a 'cursed' date in the UK
Not many people know why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky Today is Friday the 13th, a date widely regarded in western cultures as the unluckiest day of the year. The day is believed to bring about misfortune, and the superstition has even inspired an entire American horror franchise. Today, many Scots may avoid mirrors, ladders, and drains out of fear. Incredibly, previous research indicates that around 49 million people in the UK alone are terrified of this day, with the fear so intense it even has its own name. Paraskevidekatriaphobia (yes it is spelled correctly) affects those who are scared of the number 13. However, what many may not know is the real reason behind why we consider this particular date to be cursed. The truth is, no one knows the exact origin behind the myth, but both the number 13 and Friday have a long history of being associated with bad luck. It's thought that the reason behind the unluckiness of the number 13 originally comes from the Bible. Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is believed to have been the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Some superstitious individuals today even consider 13 people sat round a dinner table to be highly unlucky. Meanwhile, in Norse mythology, a dinner party of the gods was ruined by the 13th guest named Loki, who caused the world to be plunged into darkness. The myth of the unlucky 13 is known all around the world and is more common than you may realise. Certain airlines intentionally omit row 13, while hotels often lack a room 13, and some high-rise buildings label their floors such that they skip from 12 to 14. Friday 13th is estimated to cost businesses up to £585m. Regarding the days of the week, Friday has been viewed as the most ill-fated for centuries. In Geoffrey Chaucer's renowned 14th-century work, Canterbury Tales, he writes, "and on a Friday fell all this mischance". Friday was also once referred to as 'Hangman's Day' in Britain, as it was typically the day when those condemned to death would meet their fate at the gallows. In Wales, there was a belief that Friday was an unlucky day, with miners refusing to start new work at the end of the week. However, Good Friday - the day of Jesus Christ's crucifixion - is an exception to this superstition. Being born on Good Friday is believed to bring good fortune. Sailors, who are famously superstitious, would often set sail on lengthy voyages on Good Friday, owing to its sacred connotations. Disasters and unlucky events that have happened on Friday the 13th include the Costa Concordia disaster, which saw 32 people drowned when it sank off the coast of Tuscany took place in January 2012 when the ship struck a rock. On Friday the 13th October 1972 Air Force Flight 571 from Uruguay crashed in the Andes while flying members of a rugby team. Out of 45 passengers, 29 died from impact injuries, frostbite, starvation and an avalanche. The remaining 16 were forced to preserve the dead passengers in the snow and eat their flesh. One young boy was left with burns after being struck by lightning at 13.13 on Friday 13th in 2010. He was 13 at the time. And an unlucky event on a Friday the 13th led to a whole new psychological theory being developed. Kitty Genovese was murdered on March 13th, 1964 as allegedly 38 neighbours did nothing. The killing led to the development of the Bystander Theory. On May 13th 1981 the Pope was shot at four times. Pope John Paul II, formerly Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland came out of hospital two weeks later but was readmitted due to a lung infection. He later made a full recovery. The stock market has also not escaped a brush with bad luck. On Friday the 13th October, 1989, global markets plunged when a buyout for a United Airlines parent company failed. It later was referred to as Black Friday. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
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Reason Friday the 13th 'curse' started and why date is deemed so unlucky
Friday 13th is considered to be the unluckiest day on the calendar - but many people have no idea how it became such a dreaded date and about the 'cursed' events that have happened in the past on this date The infamous Friday 13th is often regarded as the most ill-fated date on the calendar - yet many are still puzzled about its origins. This sparked a social media query: "Explain like I'm five: Why is Friday the 13th considered bad luck? I'm familiar with the movies, but when/where/how/why did "Friday the 13th" get its bad rap?". The number 13's unlucky reputation is rooted in a Norse myth, which tells the story of 12 gods hosting a dinner party in Valhalla. However, the trickster god Loki crashed the party as the uninvited 13th guest, orchestrating the death of the god of joy, Balder, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. This event supposedly triggered widespread suffering, thus rendering the number 13 unlucky. Christians also consider the number 13 inauspicious due to its connection to Jesus's Last Supper and crucifixion, where 13 people were present on the 13th of Nisan Maundy Thursday. Friday 13th, in particular, gained notoriety as an unlucky day only after the 19th century. It is believed that a series of unfortunate events occurring on various Friday 13ths contributed to this superstition. One such event, as reported by took place on Friday, October 13, 1307, when King Philip IV of France's officers arrested hundreds of Knights Templar, a powerful military and religious order established in the 12th century to defend the Holy Land. Accusations of varying illicit activities landed many Templars in prison. While it's believed that the king's true motive was to gain control over their wealth, a number of them were subsequently executed. This historical event has been linked by some to the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th, although the full truth behind these legends is still unclear. Modern history has seen its share of tragedies on Friday the 13th as well, including events such as the German bombing of Buckingham Palace during September 1940; Kitty Genovese's brutal slaying in Queens, New York, in March 1964; an immensely destructive cyclone in Bangladesh claiming over 300,000 lives in November 1970; the loss of a Chilean Air Force plane in the Andes come October 1972; the death of rapper Tupac Shakur in September 1996; and the Costa Concordia cruise liner disaster near Italy's coast, which led to 30 deaths in January 2012. A Reddit user weighed in on the subject stating: "It's a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus, which took place on a Friday. He was betrayed by one of the attendants of the Last Supper, famously being the 13th person at that table." Supplementing this viewpoint, another user mentioned: "Its been my understanding that Friday the 13th was the day Phillip the Fair took down the Order of the Knights Templar." Another chimed in with the remark: "It is the date in which the leading members of the Knight Templars were arrested in France." So do you believe in the superstition? Don't forget to leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.
BBC News
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