Friday the 13th! – Mystery and Superstition
Oh no! It is Friday the 13th! A day in which many people will be nervously watching out for random, bad luck situations to strike! You may wonder, where does this superstition surrounding this day originate from?
This day has long been shrouded in mystery and superstition, particularly in Western traditions. Nevertheless, it occurs at least once a year in our calendar, and sometimes, like in 2014, it happened three times!
It is a combination of both the unlucky elements of Friday and the number 13. Historically, there are many references to these superstitions. There is not one clear origin, but it leaves a trail that goes back to ancient times!
Why is ‘13’ Unlucky?
The number 13’s unluckiness can be traced back to Norse mythology. Folklore historian Donald Dossey explains that the myth centres around 12 gods having a dinner party in Valhalla.
Unfortunately, the 13th God, Loki, was not invited. As revenge, he deceived the Blind God, Höd, to kill the Chief God’s son with a mistletoe-tipped arrow, which caused the world to go dark and enter into mourning.
Running with the dinner theme, The Last Supper also has connotations of the number being ill-fated. The Bible states Jesus had 12 guests around the table, 13 including himself.
Judas is believed to be the 13th guest, who betrayed Jesus, causing his death the very next day. Even now, many people think it is unlucky to have 13 dinner guests, sometimes putting teddies at the table to make up a 14th seat.
Lucky 12?
Another cause of the number’s unlucky implications could be due to the positive associations of 12. The number 12 correlates with a sense of completeness. For example, the 12 days of Christmas, the 12 labours of Hercules or the 12 months in our calendar.
The fear of the number 13 remains rooted in our culture; some hotels do not have a 13th-floor or room, some aeroplanes do not have row 13. In fact, Winston Churchill refused to sit on the 13th row of a plane or theatre. This fear even has its own psychological term – triskaidekaphobia (pronounced tris-kye-dek-a-foh-bee-a).
So, Why Friday?
As mentioned, Friday also has unlucky associations. People believe that Friday was the day that Eve gave Adam the apple and the day that Cain killed Abel.
The renowned English author Geoffrey Chaucer stated in ‘The Canterbury Tales’ that Friday was the day of “all mischance.” And this dates to the 14th century!
Historically in Britain, Friday was the day that people were hanged.
The fear of Friday the 13th also has its own psychological term called friggatriskaidekaphobia (pronounced frigg-ah-tris-kah-deck-ah-f-oh-bee-ah).
Unfortunately, tracing the origins of this specific date is almost impossible. Still, the most common report is that on one fateful Friday the 13th in 1307, the French King arrested hundreds of the Knights Templar.
Unlucky and Lucky
There have been many reports of unfortunate events occurring on this dreaded date. For example, during World War II, Buckingham Palace was bombed on Friday 13th of September 1940. More recently, the beloved rapper Tupac Shakur was shot dead on this day in September 1996.
As a matter of fact, in Finland, Friday the 13th has become National Accident Day. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about different types of safety. Over the years, it has also become instilled in our pop culture.
The date landed the ultimate accolade with Hollywood in 1980 when Paramount Pictures began the Friday 13th film series. As luck would have it, the date would not be the same again after hockey-masked Jason Voorhees proceeded to slash his way across many summer camps whilst cashing in at US box offices, as well as a television series and several books!
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So, will you be tempting fate and going outdoors this Friday the 13th, or will you be speaking to one of our Trusted Psychics? You can watch us live here!
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