On Friday the 13th in 2009, the famous movie was re-released. Since then the unlucky stigma behind the holiday has us spooked. Don’t play the Friday the 13th game on this day since the odds aren’t in your favor. Check out these 13 facts about the day.
Today, many people believe that the superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th come from the 1980’s film Friday the 13th; this is not true. Friday the 13th and all of its bad luck existed in real life and in fiction long before the ’80’s. Out of the 12 Friday the 13th movies, only six of them premiered on a Friday the 13th.
Friday the 13th is a DOUBLE superstitious day. The number 13, alone, has been viewed as an unlucky number since before biblical times. Many hotels and buildings often skip the 13th floor, refusing to label the floor with the unlucky number. 13 is an irregular number and is supposedly the number of witches you need to form a true coven.
Out of all the days of the week, Fridays have been considered the most unlucky day of the week. Throughout history, Fridays have been full of bad omens; sailors refused to start their journey at sea on a Friday because it was seen as bad luck.
There’s a name for the fear of spiders, heights, and clowns, but there is also a name for the fear of this day. Paraskavedekatriaphobia is the diagnosis given to people who are truly afraid of Friday the 13th.
Since Friday the 13th is considered unlucky and often dangerous by many people, prices often drop drastically on that day. Flights and weddings drop drastically in price and the stock market tends to dip low, a good time for investment if you do not believe in the superstitions of Friday the 13th.
While there are many myths as to the origin of Friday the 13th, one of the most notable is the connection to Christ and the Last Supper. Including himself, Jesus ate his Last Supper with thirteen people; he died on a Friday. The link between the number and the day fuels the idea that the combination leads to certain death. Supposedly, if you eat dinner with twelve others, one member is bound to die.
According to superstition, the risk of death [and other bad things] increases drastically on Friday the 13th. Some say that if people believe they are in danger, their anxiousness will end up leading to more accidents; however, research has been done on Friday the 13th compared to other days and dates and it has been concluded that risks and other dangers do not have a greater chance of occurring on the unlucky day.
Friday the 13th superstitions include avoiding funerals and haircuts. If you see or attend a funeral on the unlucky day, you will supposedly die. If you get a haircut, supposedly, one of your family members will die. Avoid having a child! Babies born on Friday the 13th are said to be negative individuals and will have bad luck for life.
Friday the 13th’s negativity is usually found only in American/English culture! Other cultures around the world have different superstitious days. Many Spanish speaking countries, find Tuesdays to be a day of bad omens. In China, the number 4 is unlucky since it is closely related to the word ‘death’.
Many horror and Halloween fans are excited this year [2017] since one of the two Friday the 13ths falls in the month of October. October is often known as the spookiest month of the year and by having a Friday the 13th, the spookiness just continues to increase.
Founded in the 1880s. the 13 Club was created to debunk the superstition surrounding the number 13. As the superstition of Friday the 13th continued to spread, the organization began running experiments on the unlucky day. They would walk under ladders, break mirrors, and convene in groups of thirteen. The club still exists today.
FDR refused to travel on the 13th day of any month and would avoid traveling on Fridays as well. He refused to dine if there were twelves guests at his table. It is said that he would often invite his secretary to join his groups for dinner if there were 13 people at the table.
Throughout history, many terrible things have occurred on Friday the 13ths, including the arresting and burning of the Knights Templar. Not all Friday the 13ths are negative. The accordion was patented, gender hiring discrimination was legally eliminated, and the first female flight instructor was licensed all on Friday the 13ths!
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