It’s Friday the 13th — a date often surrounded by superstition and a sense of foreboding in many parts of the world, especially in Western cultures. The day is considered unlucky, with many believing that misfortunes are more likely to happen due to the ominous combination of the number 13 and Friday.
Though the exact origin of the superstition remains unclear, the belief that both Friday and the number 13 bring bad luck has deep historical and cultural roots.
According to a BBC report, many trace the bad luck associated with the number 13 back to the Bible. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is believed to have been the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Similarly, in Norse mythology, a dinner party among the gods was ruined by the 13th guest, Loki, who caused chaos and darkness to descend upon the world.
This belief has become so ingrained that in some cultures, it’s still considered unlucky to have 13 people at a dinner table. To avoid this, hosts may place a teddy bear as a symbolic 14th guest.
The fear of 13 also affects modern infrastructure. Many hotels skip Room No. 13, and some buildings omit the 13th floor, going directly from 12 to 14. Even some airlines avoid labeling a row as 13 on their seating charts.
Why Friday?
In addition to the number 13, Friday itself carries a historical burden of bad events. In the Bible, Friday is associated with significant misfortunes such as the Great Flood and the fall of Adam and Eve. During the 1300s, Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales also connected Friday with “mischance.”
In the UK, Friday was once known as Hangman’s Day — the day on which people were executed. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the specific superstition around Friday the 13th emerged. An 1834 article in a French literary magazine stated, “It is always Fridays and the number 13 that bring bad luck.”
There is even a term for the fear of Friday the 13th:
“Paraskevidekatriaphobia”, derived from Greek roots, meaning fear of Friday the 13th.
A Cultural Contrast
Despite the superstition, Friday holds religious significance in other cultures. In Islam, Friday is considered the holiest day of the week, a day for congregational prayers and spiritual reflection. In Judaism, Friday evening marks the beginning of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.