Friday the 13th (superstition)
Friday the 13th is a well-known superstition, particularly in Western cultures, where it is considered an unlucky date. This belief may stem from a combination of negative associations with the number 13 and the day Friday, both of which are thought to invite misfortune. Some theories suggest that the superstition has historical roots, with a significant event occurring on Friday, October 13, 1307, when many Knights Templar were arrested under orders from Pope Clement V and King Philip IV of France. Additionally, biblical narratives, such as Judas's betrayal of Jesus, are often cited as contributing factors to the superstition's origins.
The superstition gained traction in popular culture, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the publication of Thomas W. Lawson's novel "Friday, the Thirteenth," which popularized the concept. Events like the bombing of Buckingham Palace and the crash of a Uruguayan Air Force plane have been noted by believers as evidence of the date's ominous nature. The phenomenon has also influenced the entertainment industry, leading to the creation of the famous horror film franchise "Friday the 13th," which features the iconic character Jason Voorhees. Despite skepticism towards the superstition, a notable number of people, estimated between 17 to 21 million Americans, hold a belief that Friday the 13th brings about bad luck, impacting consumer behavior and costing the economy significantly.
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Friday the 13th (superstition)
In folklore and popular culture, Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky date. Some people believe the superstition surrounding the date is an amalgamation of separate folk beliefs regarding the number 13 and Friday, both of which are traditionally said to bring bad luck. Others believe the superstition is rooted in historical events that took place on Friday the 13th and/or biblical episodes that are said to have fallen on the date. However, there is no consensus among folklore and mythology experts as to exactly how the superstition began.
Friday the 13th is one of the best-known superstitions in the Western world. Belief that the date brings back luck, and consequent fear of it, is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. Friday the 13th is also the name of a highly successful franchise of horror films, which reached the peak of its popularity in the 1980s.
Brief History
One of the most widely cited origin stories of the Friday the 13th superstition comes from events that took place on Friday, October 13, 1307. On that date, Pope Clement V and King Philip IV of France took action against the Knights Templar, a powerful military order with historical ties to the Roman Catholic Church. In a wide-ranging crackdown against the order's allegedly blasphemous activities, Clement V and Philip IV commanded the arrest of scores of Knights Templar members living in France, including the grand master, Jacques de Molay. De Molay was tortured. According to legend, he cursed the pope and the French king for their actions and decreed that his curse would continue through the ages, bringing widespread woe and misfortune on the date of his arrest. The episode was referenced in the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, published in 2003 by author Dan Brown.
Other accounts reference biblical events as possible sources of the Friday the 13th superstition. According to the New Testament, Judas, who was the 13th apostle, betrayed Jesus Christ on a Friday. Judas's actions led directly to Christ's crucifixion. Some biblical scholars also believe that the fabled first murder in human history, as related in the Old Testament's Book of Genesis, took place on Friday the 13th when Cain killed his brother, Abel.
Separate folk beliefs surrounding Friday and the number 13 may also have contributed to the development of the superstition. In The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, Friday is presented as an unlucky day. Chaucer warns readers not to begin a journey or start a project on that day of the week. In medieval times, public executions were normally scheduled on Fridays, and condemned prisoners had to ascend 13 steps to reach the gallows. In addition, the number 13 has traditional associations with witchcraft and is said to be the number of witches required to form a coven. A well-known tale from Norse mythology also tells of the evil trickster god Loki turning up uninvited to a feast in Valhalla, the legendary hall of Norse heroes, as the 13th guest. Loki's arrival brought great turmoil, adding yet another chapter to 13's reputation as an unlucky number. Belief that the number 13 brings bad luck is so common that many tall buildings do not have a 13th floor and instead skip from the 12th floor to the 14th floor.
Overview
While folktales of Friday being an unlucky day and 13 being an unlucky number have persisted for centuries, a specific belief in Friday the 13th as an unlucky date likely emerged in Western popular culture in the late nineteenth century or early twentieth century. The 1907 publication of the popular novel Friday, the Thirteenth by the American writer and businessman Thomas W. Lawson is frequently mentioned as important marker of the modern notion of the superstition. In the novel, Lawson tells the story of a broker who attempts to profit from fear of the supposedly cursed date by exploiting the stock market. Lawson drew on an existing belief that Friday the 13th is unlucky. While he cannot accurately be identified as the originator of the contemporary superstition, Lawson is often credited with popularizing it.
Believers cite numerous tragic and unlucky events that took place on Friday the 13th as evidence that there is more than myth to the superstition. During World War II (1939–1945), London's Buckingham Palace was hit by five German bomb strikes on Friday, September 13, 1940. The strikes killed one staff member and destroyed a royal chapel on the palace grounds. On Friday, October 13, 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force plane went down in the Andes Mountains, leaving the survivors stranded in the remote peaks and forcing them to eat the remains of those who had died until they were rescued two months later. In 1976, a paraskevidekatriaphobic New York City resident vowed to spend Friday the 13th in bed, so as to avoid any possible misfortune that might befall him. He died when the floor of his apartment complex unexpectedly collapsed.
By 1980, the superstition was so engrained in the popular consciousness that it became the name of one of the most profitable franchises in movie history. The first instalment of Friday the 13th, released in May 1980, introduced moviegoers to the murderous masked madman Jason Voorhees, who has since become one of the horror genre's most iconic villains.
Other events that have contributed to the date's macabre reputation include the 1996 death of rap star Tupac Shakur. Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada, and died of his wounds on Friday, September 13th. In 2010, a thirteen-year-old boy from Suffolk, England, was struck by lightning on Friday the 13th at 1:13 in the afternoon, meaning the tragedy struck at the 13th minute of the day's 13th hour. Although skeptics dismiss such events as purely coincidental, current estimates reveal that 17 to 21 million Americans believe that Friday the 13th brings bad luck. Some projections suggest that the date costs the American economy $700 million to $900 million in lost revenues each time it occurs, due to consumer reluctance to participate in normal economic activities.
Bibliography
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