The truth behind Friday the 13th šŸˆā€ā¬›

Merry Meet Everyone!

From horror movies to hushed fears- Iā€™m sure many of you know the superstition of Friday the 13th.

Many people believe this day to be cursed- and that all will experience fear, bad, luck, and many awful oogie boogies on this day :japanese_ogre:

Some people even have triskaidekaphobia- fear of the number 13.

But have you ever wondered why this day is regarded with such fear?

Buckle up- itā€™s time to find out! :laughing:

The Taboo of Fridays and 13s

It seems there are numerous reasons why 13 has been marked as a taboo throughout history.

The article The Sinister Reasons we Fear Friday the 13th lists the following reasons why it earned a bad name:

  • Judas was the 13th member of the Last Supper (and is later believed to have died on a Friday)
  • 13 is seen as being imbalanced compared to the 12 months of the year
  • There were 13 steps to the gallows for execution
  • In 1307, King Phillip of France tortured and murdered hundreds of Knights Temple on Friday the 13th
  • Some believe Eve bit the apple on Friday the 13th
  • Some Christian theorists say that Noahā€™s arc escaped the great flood on Friday the 13th

As you can see, many of the reasons are based in religion.

The same article mentioned above also lists the fact that a gathering of 13 witches defines a coven, and they usually meet on Fridays as a downside. Well, I donā€™t know about you- but that sounds like a party to me! :partying_face:

The other side

Like we often see throughout history, sometimes the bad connotations overpower the good. And the truth is- Both Friday and 13 have some upsides as well!

The article 13 Reasons to Love the Number 13 has some positives to offer:

  • A bakerā€™s dozen is actually 13 rolls- the 13th roll is a free bonus! Who doesnā€™t like freebies? :yum:

  • In Italy, 13th is a lucky number synonymous with hitting the jackpot :money_mouth_face:

  • Friday is the only day of the week named after a woman- the goddess Freya/Frigg of fertility and love :pregnant_woman:

There are also plenty of Good Things that Happened on Friday the 13th, including:

  • The famous Hollywood sign we have today was implemented :slot_machine:

  • Water was discovered on the moon by NASA :full_moon:

  • The first dinosaur eggs were discovered in Mongolia :egg:

  • Super Mario Bros was released in Japan :mushroom:

  • And donā€™t forget- Friday is the last work day before the weekend begins! :confetti_ball:

It is what you make it to be

Since I was a child, 13 has always been my lucky number. My soccer jersey was #13 and I got my driverā€™s license on the first try- on Friday the 13th. I admit that maybe it felt a little bit cool to like a number every else was scared of (:joy:), but the number 13 drew me in nonetheless.

Iā€™m not the only one- singer Taylor Swift has claimed 13 as her lucky number since birth.

It seems that- with many things in life- Friday the 13th is what you make it to be.

Ohio State University backs this theory up with science in Is 13 Really That Unlucky?- saying that once you set mind your mind to believe something, it often backs it up with confirmation bias. That is to say, your mind has a habit of seeing what it wants to see- evidence that supports what you already believe.

If you go into tomorrow feeling fear and apprehension- that is what the world is likely to give back to you. But if you move forward with your head held high, perhaps the universe will reflect that positivity back to you :sun_with_face:

While youā€™re at it, why not cast a special Friday the 13th spell- and cash in on the occasion! :moneybag::laughing:


[Picture from Pintrest]

Wishing a very Happy Friday the 13th to all! :sparkles:

35 Likes

Iā€™ve always loved Friday the 13th! Iā€™ve also always loved things supernatural, spooky, and just different! Iā€™m a different person, eclectic. So, it makes sense that I like this day.
Thanks @BryWisteria I never knew most of the things that happened.
My mom is born on Sept 13 and sometimes itā€™s a Friday. When I was preteen, I used to be very angry and rebellious, and say thatā€™s why sheā€™s so mean :face_with_hand_over_mouth: sheā€™s ā€œunluckyā€ bc sheā€™s a very superstitious person. :sweat_smile:

8 Likes

Thanks for this, @BryWisteria! I was feeling nervous about tomorrow because of the date. Itā€™s nice to know that itā€™s just old programming messing up my brain. Hopefully starting tomorrow the 13th will be lucky for me!

5 Likes

I didnā€™t even realize we had a Friday the 13th coming up :scream_cat: but Iā€™m glad you posted about it. Friday the 13th is a lucky day in my family because my mom was born on a Friday the 13th :laughing: Iā€™ve never been one to be afraid of the number 13 and have always found comfort in it. I suppose itā€™s because of my momā€™s birthday, but I think itā€™s also because the ā€œtraditionalā€ coven is no more than 13 members.

This is what I heard was as close to the original reason why Friday the 13th would be unlucky, but I meanā€¦who really knows? Anyway, I actually did a podcast/YouTube episode about thisā€¦last year? And it was really surprising to me how many things are different in other cultures as well as the different reasons that people say Friday the 13th is unlucky.

12 Likes

Your forgot to mention my Birthday is Friday the 13th! (Not that you would know that at all, hehehe)

Anything special I should do to celebrate both my Birthday and Friday the 13th?

9 Likes

Fun fact and something I actually remember from my Spanish classes: Some Spanish speaking countries actually view Tuesday the 13th as the unlucky day instead of Friday the 13th.

10 Likes

Happy Cakeday tomorrow! I have no idea how you could celebrate it, but I hope you have a wonderful day! :birthday:

5 Likes

Yes, Tuesday (martes, Marsā€™ day) is unlucky and thereā€™s even a saying: ā€œMartes, ni te cases ni te embarquesā€ donā€™t get married and donā€™t get on a boat! :rowing_man:

in Hispanic and Greek culture, the planet Mars was ā€œthe little maleficā€ so its day was charged with energy, tension and aggressiveness. Mars, the god of war, rules over Tuesdays and is in turn ruled by the red planet, the planet of destruction, blood and violence :red_circle:

10 Likes

Iā€™m glad to hear other people enjoy/have fun ties with Friday the 13th too @Christina4 and @MeganB :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

No worries, @Amethyst- I hope this is a wonderful day for you full of great things. Make it yours- claim Friday the 13th as your special day too! :grin:

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY @Chelsey1! Now thereā€™s a great reason to celebrate Friday the 13th- have an awesome bday! :birthday::partying_face:

Very interesting about Tuesday, @praecog29 and @Francisco! Personally, I would have to agree. Friday is a fun day before the weekend- but Tuesday? Not even halfway through the week- dreadful! :joy:

And on the note of unlucky days/numbers in other cultures- in parts of Asia 13 is a totally normal number. I remember in Japan the taboo number was 4- pronounced the same way as the word ā€œdeathā€, many buildings in Japan donā€™t have a 4th floor. Elevators go from floor number 3 to floor 5 :laughing:

12 Likes

Thatā€™s very interesting because itā€™s the same here in the USA but just with the number 13 :scream: I can totally understand why four there would be a taboo number though.

6 Likes

@christina4, I agree with you! Always loved the number 13 and still do. I never found it to be unlucky. Like the article says. You put your mind on a thought and that thought becomes your reality. My mom is born on a 13th as well. And she gets her birthday on Friday the 13th as well. I think her next one is 3 from now lolā€¦We always made jokes about it too lolā€¦

7 Likes

Youā€™re absolutely right! You think your reality into existence. With your intention and making realistic goals of course. I wish more people were aware of this.

9 Likes

On Friday the 13 my friend always does tattoos cheap! So my evidence of this holiday being bad is not correct at all and Friday 13 is good and Lucky!
I wish I could have went this week but itā€™s to late! Maybe next time!
Jeannie

8 Likes

Next Friday (August 13th) will be a Friday the 13th!!! :black_cat:

@Amethyst shared a great (and positive!) point about Friday the 13th, so adding it in here:

Is anyone planning anything for this special occasion? :blush: Working with Hekate :old_key: or Moon Magick (looks like it will be a Waxing Cresent :waxing_crescent_moon:)

Still plenty of time to decide on magic for this unique night! :grin::+1:

Blessed be!

11 Likes

Thatā€™s something Iā€™ve still got to think about. :thinking:

7 Likes

Travel Witch,
I am making a candle Travel Witch for Hecate!
Jeannie

9 Likes

Six years apart, most recent 2000, 2006 and 2017 on a Friday 13th in October. My motherā€™s birthday. :grimacing:

9 Likes

My middle son was born on a Friday the 13th and I have always considered it a very lucky number and day.

10 Likes

Itā€™s still a ways away, @Christina4- so no rush if youā€™re hoping to do something to celebrate! :grin:

Thatā€™s awesome, @Jeannie1 :star_struck: Happy candle making, and may Hecate watch over and bless you this Friday the 13th! :pray:

A Friday the 13th in October sounds like a very powerful day indeed, @pedros10. As someone who finds this day lucky, Iā€™d say itā€™s a blessed day for a birthday! :heart::blush:

Very lucky indeed, @moonshadow! :partying_face: :two_hearts:

9 Likes

Thatā€™s crazy because the 13 ofSeptember is my momā€™s birthday and sometimes lands on a Friday :joy:

8 Likes