Strange

Friday the 13th Facts, Superstitions, Trivia: Why Is It Unlucky?

by Jon Azpiri | November 12, 2009 at 08:48 pm

4531 views | 33 Recommendations | 4 comments

It's a date that has spawned countless superstitions and a series of mediocre horror movies. Today is Friday the 13th, a day that is supposed to be unlucky. For what seems like forever, people have made references to the bad mojo surrounding Friday the 13th. Some people even suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th. All this fear despite the fact that there is no evidence that Friday the 13th is unlucky.

November 13, 2009 is the third Friday the 13th of 2009. As a rule, there are one to three Friday the 13ths each calendar year.

So why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky? Like a lot of superstitions, the origins of Friday the 13th is a little hazy. There are precious few facts as to why people think Friday the 13th is unlucky. One theory is that the fear of Friday the 13th dates back to the Knights Templar, a theory mentioned in the Dan Brown best-seller The Da Vinci Code.

Another theory is that it dates back to Norse Mythology. According to this theory, Friday is named after the Norse goddess Frigga, who was deemed a witch. After being exiled, Frigga would angrily return with 11 more witches plus the devil (13 in total) to start trouble.

It seems that the prominence of Friday the 13th is a 20th century phenomenon. Some say the 1907 novel Friday, the Thirteenth by Thomas W. Lawson helped popularize the idea that Friday the 13th was unlucky. In the book, a nefarious stockbroker orchestrates a panic on Wall Street by preying on people's superstitious beliefs. Ironically, this work of fiction about the perils of superstition may have spawned a real-life superstition that is still going strong a century after it was written.

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clarky (not verified)

at 22:12 on November 12th, 2009

Friday the 13th has always been one of my most awaited dates on the annual calendar. Some feel "jinxed" but I feel the opposite. I've always been sooo lucky everytime Friday the 13th hits the calendar. Hmm I can say that maybe it was just coincidence, but whatever this day will bring, am still in the hope of having beneficial effects rather that bad ones.. (as everybody wants)

cjudy (not verified)

at 00:38 on November 13th, 2009

I love friday the 13 everyone says its the worest day ever the most unluckiest ect.. its the best day for me. on friday the 13 i have relly good lucky and i have one of the best days ever. maybe its because i dont fear this day liike everyone does. friday the 13 is a scary day cause all the books and stuff but ey tht just makes this day fun to hangout with friends and go ghost huanting

Paschen

at 03:44 on November 13th, 2009

There was no devil in the North religion, there was a trickster named Loky, brother of Thorn or also called Donner. Frigga or Frieda was the Goddess of fertility and beauty and she was banned for a time because she defied Wottan or Odin.

In the old mythology 13 was a good number as far as I recall.

The Christian seem to have come up with the bad luck due to the 13s disciple of Christ.

Then again it is all mythology and what ever once want to believe.