Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Westernsuperstition. It occurs when the 13th 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 the same year. For example, 2015 had a Friday the 13th in February, March, and November; 2017 through 2020 had two Friday the 13ths each; 2016, 2021 and 2022 had just one occurrence of Friday the 13th each; 2023 and 2024 will have two Friday the 13ths each.
According to folklore historian Donald Dossey, the unlucky nature of the number "13" originated with a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party in Valhalla. The trickster god Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the 13th guest, and arranged for Höðr to shoot Balder with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Dossey: "Balder died, and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day." This major event in Norse mythology caused the number 13 to be considered unlucky.
The superstition seems to relate to various things, like the story of Jesus' last supper and crucifixion in which there were 13 individuals present in the Upper Room on the 13th of Nisan Maundy Thursday, the night before his death on Good Friday.
It's considered unlucky to have 13 guests at a dinner party, many buildings don't have a 13th floor and most people avoid getting married or buying a house on a day marked by this dreaded number.
We've gathered up 13 fun and freaky facts to help you celebrate Friday the 13th!
[ From Sunstar Stragetic]]
Friday the 13th can actually fall into place up to three times per year.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a real phobia. Those who suffer from it fear Friday the 13th.
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13 itself.
At least 10% of the population in the U.S. fears Friday the 13th dates, believing something bad will happen.
On Friday, October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Flight 571 crashed in the Andes. The film Alive, released in 1993, told the tale of the Uruguayan rugby team that survived the crash and ultimately resorted to cannibalism to survive.
Most tall buildings do not have a 13th floor.
Many celebrities have been born on Friday the 13th - including Alfred Hitchcock, Christopher Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Frances Conroy, Peter Tork and more!
The movie series, Friday the 13th, included 12 installments and each one did well in the box office. The villain, Jason Voorhees, dies in every movie.
Friday, October 13, 1989, is often referred to as "black Friday" following a mini-crash of the stock market.
Across the country, flights are typically cheaper when the 13th falls on a Friday.
Any month that begins with a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th.
On Friday, September 13, 1940, the Nazis dropped a bomb on Buckingham Palace. The Royal family was not harmed.
By some accounts, nearly $900 million is lost each time the 13th falls on a Friday because many are afraid to work and travel on that date.
Regardless of how you choose to spend your day - be it by avoiding black cats and ladders or by just going about your business - enjoy it! It's Friday!
