The culturally symbolic day of “unlucky” is upon us, and with some evil force wishing to start World War III with a quite clearly construed chemical attack in Syria to increase tensions with Russia, it makes this Friday the 13th even more pensive and unlucky if such a thing were to commence in the next week or so. How many times has this same evil force lied to perpetuate war for profit?
However, the bigger question remains, just exactly why is Friday the 13th seen as an unlucky day, with the number 13 being associated with bad luck? Italian composer Gioachino Rossini first mentioning the date as being ill-fated in a biography in 1867. He died on Friday the 13th on November 1868.
Gioachino Rossini died on the ill-fated day. Credit: Famous People
Additionally, author Thomas W. Lawson could have contributed to the notion that Friday the 13th was a bad day, since his novel ‘Friday the Thirteenth’, which was first published in 1907, was about a Wall Street broker who tried to crash the stock market on that significant date.
Furthermore, the number 13 may also have found infamy as being ill-fate through Christianity, since during the last supper, there were 13 people in attendance including Jesus, with his twelve apostles. Judas was the 13th, and as we all know, he betrayed Jesus.
The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Credit: overstockArt.com
Of course, there’s also the long running movie franchise of Friday the 13th, with Jason Voorhees sneaking around in his hockey mask at Camp Crystal Lake in order to chop, maim and kill everyone trespassing on the land. Despite this being entirely fictional, this has also added an element of fright into contemporary pop culture surrounding the date.
The man, the myth, the legend. Credit: Friday the 13th Wiki
The superstition of Friday the 13th is so deep rooted in our culture, that many people will refuse to travel, won’t go outside, or do anything important on the date, so as to stay safe and away from any bad luck or ill-fortune.
The people with a real fear of the date are said to have Paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is the fear of Friday the 13th, whereas those that avoid or just fear the number 13 have Triskaidekaphobia, such as novelist Stephen King. In some buildings, the reason why you won’t be staying on the 13th floor, but rather on the 12th or 14th floor, is because quite clearly the number 13 has been avoided altogether, wherever possible.
Even great literary minds like Stephen King have Triskaidekaphobia. Credit: Mental Floss
We’re in luck, as today is not the only Friday the 13th this year. Indeed, there will be another one on the 13th of July in just three months time, so we can yet again engage in some superstitious factoids and really get to the bottom of why everyone fears Friday the 13th in Western culture.
So, will you be brave and go out tonight on Friday the 13th? Or will you be wise and avoid everything until this day has passed? Tell us in the comments section down below.
Story by The Narrator
Featured Photo Credit: Ohio Valley Bank