Friday the 13th Superstitions

Friday the 13th is a superstitious day for many people. Although no one knew when it began, we know a few sources of the origin of Friday the 13th.

One possible source is the Bible. The Last Supper was on a Friday, and one of the guests, Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the thirteenth guest. This connects to the crucifixion of Jesus, which is considered unlucky.

Another origin comes from the mathematical belief that relates to 13 being unlucky. 13 comes right after 12, and twelve is considered perfect, due to its everyday uses (12 ticks on the clock, 12 inches on a foot, and one year has 12 months). However, 13 is one away from twelve, making it “imperfect”. Although this explanation is not thorough, it still exists.

Separately, in Norse mythology, the 13th uninvited guest, Loki, killed Baldr, one of the liked gods. According to the Library of Congress, it says, “It seems likely that someone combined the story of Baldr’s death with the idea that unlucky 13 derives from a betrayal committed by the “13th guest” at a dinner party, (taken in turn from the Last Supper story), thereby creating a new origin tale for unlucky 13.”

Friday the 13th has many origins, and people still fear this date.