Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?

It’s Friday the 13th, and for many people, that’s a day full of dread and bad luck. For others, it conjures gruesome images of a hockey mask wearing, machete wielding fiend terrorizing visitors at Camp Crystal Lake.

But have you ever wondered how the superstition surrounding this specific day and date combination originated? The belief can possibly be traced back to at least the 12 century and perhaps even to Biblical times.

Biblical Associations

One common theory relates to the Bible. At the Last Supper, there were 13 guests, and the 13th guest was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. The crucifixion of Jesus is believed to have taken place on a Friday, adding to the association of Friday with misfortune.

Numerology

In numerology, the number 12 is often seen as a symbol of completeness (12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 apostles, etc.), whereas 13 is seen as irregular or unlucky. When combined with the historically negative connotations of Friday, the 13th became a day of superstition.

The Knights Templar

Others credit the superstition to an event that unfolded beginning Friday, October 13, 1307. On that date, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest, torture, and execution of hundreds of Knights Templar, a monastic military order devoted to the protection of pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land.

Founded around 1118, the Knights Templar became one of the wealthiest and most influential groups of the Middle Ages due to lavish donations from the crowned heads of Europe looking to curry favor with the group. By the beginning of the 14th century, the Templars had established a vast network of castles, churches, and banks throughout Europe. It was their staggering wealth that led to their downfall.

A month earlier, the avaricious monarch Philip IV had secret documents sent by couriers across the kingdom, with instructions that they not be opened until the night of October 12. The papers included lurid details and whispers of black magic and scandalous sexual rituals by the Templars.

In the days and weeks that followed that fateful Friday, more than 600 Templars were arrested. Nearly all were brutally tortured. Their lands and money were confiscated and officially dispersed to another religious order, although the greedy king did get his hands on some of the cash he coveted.

Finally, after seven years of terror in the spring of 1314, Grand Master Molay and several other Templars were burned at the stake in Paris, bringing an end to the horrific events and launching an even longer-lasting theory about the evil possibilities of Friday the 13th.

Cultural Influence

Over time, literature and popular culture have reinforced the idea that Friday the 13th is unlucky. This has been perpetuated by books, movies (most notably the “Friday the 13th” horror film series), and other media, further embedding the superstition into modern consciousness.

While these theories contribute to the superstition, the fear of Friday the 13th, known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, is largely a product of cultural tradition rather than any specific historical event.

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