Friday the 13th(Superstitions, Horror Movies, & Just Plain Spooky!)

        Friday the 13^th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstitions. It occurs when the 13^th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but, can occur up to three times in one year.

Ex. 2015 had a Friday the 13^th in February, March, and November.

Ex. 2017-2020 had 2 Friday the 13ths each; and the years 2021 and 2022 will both have just one occurrence each.

        Typically, Friday the 13^th occurs in any month that begins on a Sunday. This superstition seems to relate to various things, for example, in Christianity the story of Jesus’ last supper and crucifixion in which there were 13 individuals present in he Upper Room on the 13^th of Nisan Maundy Thursday, the night before his death on Good Friday. And while there is some evidence of both Friday and the number 13 being considered unlucky, there are no records that refer to the two items as being especially unlucky before the 19^th century.

        The superstition is also related to the tragedy of the Trials of the Knights Templar, which started with their arrest on Friday the 13^th in October of 1307 which was perpetrated by Philip IV of France and his counselors with aims to acquire the wealth of the Templars.

        In Spanish-speaking countries, instead of Friday the 13^th, Tuesday the 13^th (martes trece)  is considered a day of bad luck.

The Greeks also consider Tuesday (especially the 13^th) an unlucky day. Tuesday is considered to be dominated by the influence of Ares, the God of War (also known as Mars in Roman mythology.) The fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade occurred on Tuesday, April 13^th, 1204 and the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans happened on Tuesday, May 29^th, 1453- these events strengthen the superstition about Tuesdays in those cultures. Also to add, in Greek, the name of the day is Triti (Τρίτη) meaning the third day of the week, adding weight to the superstition, since bad luck is said “to come in threes.”

Tuesday the 13^th occurs in a month that begins on a Thursday.

Side note- this is a superstition that I grew up hearing in my own life, and my own family. That bad luck, and bad things always come in threes.

And just to touch a bit on the subject, in Italian pop culture, Friday the 17^th (and not the 13^th) is considered to be bad luck. The origin of this belief could possibly be traced in the writing of number 17, in Roman numerals XVII. By shuffling the digits of the number, one can easily get the word VIXI (“I have lived.” Which implies death in the present) and is therefore an omen of bad luck. In fact, in Italy, 13 is generally considered a lucky number. Though, due to Americanization, young people consider Friday the 13^th unlucky as well.

Obviously, due to all of the stigma, this has a huge social impact. And according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17-21million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day, making it the most feared day and date in history. Isn’t that crazy?

Some people are so affected and paralyzed by this fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights, or for some even getting out of bed. It’s been estimated that $800- $900 million dollars in business are lost on this day. Despite this, representatives for both Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines (the latter now merged into United Airlines) have stated that their airlines do not suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays. (Thank you Wikipedia for those numbers!)

While a lot of people lose money on Friday the 13^th, the accident rate may be increased by as much as 52% on Friday the 13^th. So, do be careful if you’re willing to brave leaving your homes on this day! Better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it?

Finally, one of the biggest horror movie tropes of all time is, of course, Friday the 13^th. In some movies, you’ll be haunted by drowned boy Jason Voorhees, a boy that drowned in Camp Crystal Lake. Which, as I’ve recently found out may be based on the real life murders of three teenagers at Lake Bodom in Finland. The movie franchise itself is and has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. It was one of my first “real” introductions into horror.

What do you think? Have I missed any movies, or superstitions surrounding Friday the 13^th? Let me know, drop links in the comments, or videos. I’m more than happy to learn more about something I find fascinating. And while you’re at it, tell me how you’re spending your Friday the 13^th.

Since I just had surgery on Wednesday, and I’m still in a lot of pain and pretty much immobile, I will probably be curled up on my bed, with my ice packs, and my dog watching scary movies. Why? Because I think you should do the things that make you happy.

-Sky