What’s the day and date today? Oh, dear! Friday the 13th? It’s said to be an unlucky day, is it not? Especially in October, a month culturally seen by some as being spooky?
Fortunately, in Asia, the superstition regarding Friday the 13th is largely unobserved, given that it is a western import. Here, there is more concern surrounding the unlucky number 4!
So why does the superstition regarding unlucky Friday the 13th exist then? As with most cases, the story behind it is a long, old, and interesting one.
Let’s start with the number first. Given that triskaidekaphobia – the fear of the number 13 – is a very real thing, something must be wrong with this two-digit figure!
In the west, the number 12 is often depicted in a positive light, associated with the idea of completeness. Think the 12 months of the year, or the 12 zodiac signs, or the 12 days of Christmas.
Poor number 13 does not share such a great reputation. In Norse mythology, the trickster god Loki was the 13th guest at a banquet in Valhalla.
Ever the prankster, Loki stirred up trouble when he orchestrated the death of Odin’s son, Baldur, at the hands of another godly guest.
Depending on who you ask, Christian tradition upholds that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, may have been the 13th guest at the Last Supper attended by Jesus and his 12 disciples.
Christians also believe that Jesus was hanged on the cross on Good Friday, which is how Friday and 13 attained their shared bad reputation.
In addition to being the day of Christ’s crucifixion, certain old beliefs rooted in Christianity state that Adam and Eve committed the first sin of mankind on a Friday.
The Order of the Knights Templar, a Christian military group during the Middle Ages, saw great misfortune on Oct 13, 1307 – which, as it turns out, was a Friday.
The Templars were arrested and executed under the orders of King Philip IV of France, who accused them of committing various crimes against the Christian faith.
There is some contention that the superstition stems from this historical event, but as with most things relating to the Templars, no one really knows the truth.
And of course, throughout history, unfortunate incidents have taken place on the 13th day of the month that happened to fall on Fridays.
For example, Buckingham Palace was hit by German bombs in September 1940 on a Friday the 13th. More recently, the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia sank in 2012 on a Friday the 13th.
Popular culture has also played a significant part in cementing the misfortune of this day and date in the mind of the masses, specifically in the form of the “Friday the 13th” film franchise.
That said, there is some evidence that others may see it in a better light. Did you know that the English names for certain days of the week are actually derived from pagan European gods?
Wednesday, for example, started off as Woden’s (Odin’s) Day, while Thursday was Thor’s Day. Friday was Frigga’s Day.
A sky goddess and Queen of Asgard in Norse mythology, Frigga was associated with love, marriage and motherhood. Hence, Friday was viewed as a good day for marriage… back in the day.
The number 13, too, was historically seen in a good light, with certain cultures linking it to the number of lunar and menstrual cycles in a year.
After all, reproduction and lineage were important matters in society once upon a time, and the number 13 was thus seen as a symbol of fertility.
As pagan beliefs waned, however, the positive reputation of both Friday and 13 were more or less forgotten.
That said, things may be looking up for Friday the 13th, with one particularly popular artiste having declared 13 as her lucky number.
Who knows? If anyone could restore the good luck to Friday the 13th, it would most definitely be Taylor Swift!