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Mint
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Friday the 13th ‘superstition' strikes again as X erupts with spooky memes
Friday the 13th is widely seen as a day of bad luck, with its reputation rooted in ancient beliefs around the number 13 and Fridays both being unlucky in some cultures. The superstition has grown stronger over the centuries, fuelled by mythology, religion, and modern media. In Norse mythology, the number 13 is linked to chaos. A well-known tale speaks of Loki, the trickster god, arriving uninvited as the 13th guest at a feast in Valhalla. His presence led to death and disorder, setting the tone for the number's negative associations. This belief spread through Europe, and by the Middle Ages, the combination of Friday and the number 13 had become a symbol of misfortune. Christian tradition also helped cement Friday the 13th's ominous image. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, is often described as the 13th guest at the Last Supper – an event said to have occurred on a Friday. Many also believed other tragic biblical events, such as the fall of Adam and Eve and the murder of Abel, took place on Fridays. The superstition became even more widespread in the 19th century following the release of Thomas W. Lawson's novel Friday, the Thirteenth, which portrayed the day as one of doom and disaster. Later, pop culture played a major role in keeping the myth alive – especially the horror movie franchise Friday the 13th, which turned the date into a global symbol of fear and misfortune. Despite this eerie reputation, Friday the 13th isn't all bad. Some traditions see it as a day of feminine power and creativity. The number 13 is linked to lunar and natural cycles, while Friday is associated with Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. These links offer a more positive view of the day – one of 'transformation and new beginnings'. On social media, the day is often met with a mix of humour and superstition. This year, 'social media was flooded with spooky memes', with users sharing jokes, memes, and exaggerated stories about unlucky events. Even so, Friday the 13th continues to draw attention every time it appears on the calendar – as it did twice in 2024, in September and December. In 2015, the rare event occurred three times.
The South African
13-06-2025
- General
- The South African
Friday the 13th: Why a date on the calendar still scares us
For some, it's just another Friday. For others, it's a date to be avoided at all costs! Friday the 13th has earned a reputation as a day when luck runs dry, disasters strike, and strange things happen. But where did this superstition actually come from – and why does it still hold power today? It starts with the number itself. Triskaidekaphobia, the fear of 13, runs deep. In many Western cultures, 13 is seen as a problem number – hotels skip the 13th floor, airlines often leave out row 13, and some people avoid scheduling major events on the 13th. This fear is thought to trace back to ancient times. In numerology, 12 is seen as a number of completeness (12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 apostles). The number 13 disrupts that order – off-balance and unpredictable! On its own, Friday hasn't always had a great reputation either. In Christianity, Friday is said to be the day Jesus was crucified. According to some biblical scholars, Eve may have also tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. In older Western traditions, Friday was considered unlucky for beginning journeys or making big decisions. Sailors also avoided setting sail, while tradesmen avoided starting new projects on Fridays. The pairing of Friday and the 13th likely became infamous when the two separately unlucky elements collided. One theory suggests the superstition took hold in the 19th or early 20th century, with references to the date appearing in books and newspapers. But a major modern turning point came in 1907, with the publication of Friday, the Thirteenth , a novel by Thomas W. Lawson. In it, a stockbroker uses the superstitious day to manipulate the stock market. Fear meets fiction – and spreads! Then came Hollywood, of course. In 1980, the horror movie Friday the 13th turned the date into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. With masked killers and gory scenes set at a cursed summer camp, the franchise cemented the day's sinister vibe for generations. Despite the lack of real-world evidence linking Friday the 13th to misfortune, the belief itself can be enough to cause problems. Psychologists call it the 'expectancy effect' – when you anticipate something bad happening, you're more likely to notice and interpret events as negative. Some studies have even found a slight dip in productivity or a small uptick in accidents on Friday the 13th. But that may have more to do with nervous behaviour than any cosmic curse. So… is it really unlucky? There's no statistical proof that Friday the 13th is any worse than any other day. But belief can be powerful. Superstition offers a sense of control in a chaotic world. Even if we know it's irrational, it feels like a system – a way to explain the unexplainable. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
