Friday the 13th Facts and History: Why is the Superstitious Date So Scary?

[TurtleWA]

Any thoughts about today, Friday the 13th?

Friday the 13th Facts and History: Why is the Superstitious Date So Scary?

It’s not so often that Friday the 13th shows up on the calendar in October, but when it does, even the least superstitious people may find themselves a bit nervous.

The date is always considered unlucky, but there seems to be an added bit of superstitious hysteria that unravels when Friday the 13th pops up in the already-spooky month of October—so much so there’s even a medical term for it—paraskevidekatriaphobia, or a morbid fear of Friday the 13th.

Their dread may be warranted, though. After all, it was Friday the 13th in October when the historic “Black Friday” stock market crash occurred. It was also Friday, October 13 when Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 plunged from the sky, killing 12 people. And it was an October Friday the 13th when Jason Voorhees murdered campers at Camp Crystal Lake—albeit a fictional murder story, the terror Voorhees wreaked helped foster a wider fear of the date.

However, reasons why and how Friday the 13th got its unlucky association remain a mystery. But some do believe the superstitions and fear surrounding the date stem from religious beliefs and Christianity specifically.

It was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, Judas, who betrayed Jesus Christ, which led to Christ’s crucifixion, held on a Friday. Some biblical scholars also believe it was a Friday when Eve convinced Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, and it was Friday the 13th when Abel committed the first murder, killing his brother Cain.

"Because Friday was the day of the crucifixion, Fridays were always regarded as a day of penance and abstinence," Steve Roud, author of The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, told BBC news Friday. "This religious belief spilled over into a general dislike of starting anything or doing anything important on a Friday."

Dubbed hangman’s day, many public executions also occurred on Fridays during the Middle Ages. And criminals would have to walk 13 steps up the gallows before meeting their fate.

Numerologists, however, believe the superstition surrounding the date may be because the number 13 arrives in a numerical sequence after the “complete” number 12.

Thomas Fernsler, an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware, told National Geographic that the number 13’s unluckiness most likely “has to do with [13] just being a little beyond completeness.”

https://www.google.com/amp/www.newsw...684287%3Famp=1

[Redeemer]

I am pretty sure this is not correct.
Friday the 13th 1307 was the day that the Knights of Templar were massacred and falsely arrested by the King Phillip and the Pope. The grandmaster cursed the King and Pope before he did and they both died within months of his demise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...s_Templar#Fall

[Autbot_Benz]

Its the day Pamela Vorhees took revenge on the Camp Counslers for letting her Son Jason drown than it became Jason Vorhees's Birthday of Killing

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Some people used to believe Friday 13th was the day for the crucifixion of Jesus.

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by Autbot_Benz

Its the day Pamela Vorhees took revenge on the Camp Counslers for letting her Son Jason drown than it became Jason Vorhees's Birthday of Killing

10 characters

[Katie]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

I am pretty sure this is not correct.
Friday the 13th 1307 was the day that the Knights of Templar were massacred and falsely arrested by the King Phillip and the Pope. The grandmaster cursed the King and Pope before he did and they both died within months of his demise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...s_Templar#Fall

This is the correct origin of the Friday the 13th superstition.

[TurtleWA]

Anyone work or live in a tall building. Just curious if it has a 13th floor? I've never noticed if elevators had a button designating 13th floors in buildings. I guess some don't?

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by Autbot_Benz

Its the day Pamela Vorhees took revenge on the Camp Counslers for letting her Son Jason drown than it became Jason Vorhees's Birthday of Killing

Yes!!!! have you played the new game? If you like Jason you might want to check it out

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

Some people used to believe Friday 13th was the day for the crucifixion of Jesus.

I have actually never heard of this. I went a christian school for 12 years and I have never heard this before. But I can see why some people would say this. Jesus was killed two days before the sabbath which most people believe is Sunday. But the Sabbath is actually Saturday therefore he died on Thursday, but he was buried on Friday though

Originally Posted by TurtleWA

Anyone work or live in a tall building. Just curious if it has a 13th floor? I've never noticed if elevators had a button designating 13th floors in buildings. I guess some don't?

I know Hotels usually don't have a 13th floor they just skip 13 all together.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Thirteen is a number of power as well, though. There are 13 lunar months in a solar year (365÷2. Thirteen can also be broken down by its digits into another very powerful number- 4. It also contains the numbees 1 and three, making it even more of a power number. In numerology this makes it even more mystical and auspicious. There are 13 stripes on the American flag, and originally it had 13 stars(both are for the original 13 colonies.) The US seal has thirteen olives and leaves on the branch in the eagle's left talon and 13 arrows in the other. Wiccan covens often have 13 members. In most pagan traditions, 13 is actually a very lucky number for these reasons, as well as others.

[sdp]

[MsMarvelDuckie]

As trolling goes, that was incredibly BAAAD.

[newfan]

In most pagan traditions, 13 is actually a very lucky number for these reasons, as well as others.

Yes I remember reading that, also I read that Friday is supposed to associated with the goddess so Friday 13th is a good day for some.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Yes it is even named for the Norse goddess Frigga. (Wednesday is named for Woden/Odin, and Thursday for Thor.)

[Candy Kappa]

That's correct. Some times people refers to Friday as being named after Freyr or Freyja, but on Faroese the day is called Fríggjadagur. In Norse it's frjádagr, based of Frigg's Old High German name that was Frîja and in Lombardic; Frea.

The Scandinavian countries still uses the Norse names for week days:
Mandag - Moon's day
Tirsdag - Tyr's day
Onsdag - Odin's day
Torsdag - Thor's day
Fredag - Frigg's day
Lørdag - Washday (only day not named after a god)
Søndag - Sun's day

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Tuesday also gets its name in part from the Celtic (or Germanic- I forget which at the moment) name for for Ares/Mars. It is considered the God of War's day, just as Thursday is Jupiter/Zeus's day, and Friday corresponds to Venus/Aphrodite. Saturday is of course, Saturn's day. Incidentally, the Roman celebration of the Winter solstice was the Saturnalia, which lasted a week. (I celebrated it once in high school as part of Latin class.) Halloween, the Celtic Samhain, was not only a time to remember and give honor to the dead, it was also the Celtic New Year, due to the belief that the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds was thinnest then and they considered it to be the turning of the year wheel.

To the ancient "pagan" cultures, the year was divided by the full moons and the quarters- the four Solstices/Equinoxes. Thus 13 was a number sacred due to its association with the moon and the year wheel. It was only after Christian beliefs tainted it with negative conotaions (13 apostles, etc.) that it became "bad luck". Hotels and airliners often skip the thirteenth row or floor because of this.

[Hamato Yoshi]

Rigg was born July 20 and Bruce Lee died July 20 , both were conncted to George Lazenby....maybe it was an omen