It’s the second and final Friday the 13th of 2024, undoubtedly seen as one of the most unlucky days of the calendar year. Friday the 13th is known to be a day of bad luck, but how it got its “spooky” reputation dates back centuries, although an exact time frame isn’t clear.
Superstition found in English-speaking countries, the related phobia is called Paraskavedekatriaphobia, derived from the Greek words “Παρασκευή” (Friday), “δεκατρία” (thirteen), and “φοβία” (phobia).
In contrast, Greeks and Spanish-speaking people consider Tuesday the 13th to be unlucky.
This superstition became widespread in English-speaking countries during the 19th century and spread to other parts of the world through the horror movie Friday the 13th (1980). Various theories have been proposed about its origins, including:
- On Friday the 13th (13 October 1307), the Knights Templar were annihilated by the army of King Philip of France.
- It was a Friday when Eve gave Adam the forbidden fruit, leading to their expulsion from Paradise.
- The Great Flood in the Bible occurred on a Friday.
- Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday.
The number 13 is considered particularly unlucky, disrupting the harmony of 12 (12 Olympian gods, 12 labours of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Christ, 12 imams, etc.). Adding “one” to 12 marks the beginning of a new cycle. The unknown, represented by the number 13, causes anxiety, leading people to associate it with unfortunate events.
In the field of computing, a virus named Friday the 13th was created in Israel in 1988. It activates when a computer’s calendar shows Friday the 13th, causing a slowdown in system performance.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Rosa Parks ignites the bus boycott (1955)
Source: SanSimera.gr/Time.com
