Friday the Thirteenth: A Brief History of Superstition and Facts about a “Bad” Day. Why is Friday the thirteenth considered a bad day? Why Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day

The fear of Friday the 13th unites many. Indeed, regardless of culture, humanity continues to believe in a strange pattern: on Friday the 13th there is no need to arrange any important things, everything will go to waste anyway, and if it doesn’t, then some terrible thing will still happen. But where did this frightening superstition come from and should we really be afraid of an otherwise ordinary day?

Economic damage

Every year the world loses between $700 million and $800 million just because of Friday the 13th. People simply refuse to carry on with business as usual, many are postponing important business decisions and many are rescheduling flights. Additionally, nearly 80% of buildings worldwide skip the 13th floor, airports avoid parking planes at Gate 13 (this led to an airliner crash in 1983), and hospitals choose not to use Gate 13.

last supper

First of all, the Last Supper will be important to our culture. The 13th guest and final apostle, Judas, betrayed Jesus - at least according to the Bible. The crucifixion of the “Savior” also took place on Friday, and on Friday Eve seduced Adam. The latter, however, we have ceased to be afraid of.

Code of Hammurabi

But the story of the fear of the number 13 did not even begin with this. This is the number of articles in the ancient Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, the Egyptians believed that the afterlife was divided into 13 stages, and the ancient Chinese avoided the same number because they were afraid of a demonic curse.

Scandinavians

There is a similar story in Scandinavian mythology. 12 gods, led by Odin himself, decided to hold a feast, but did not invite Loki. He burst into the celebration, and they did not drive him away. But that same evening Balder, the god of joy and happiness, suddenly died.

Phillip the Handsome

Much, much later, King Philip IV of France (also known as Philip the Fair) put the entire Christian order of the Templars on trial. The case began on Friday, October 13, 1307: tens of thousands of people died, and Jacques de Molay, commander of the order, cursed the entire Capetian branch. And the curse worked perfectly - some still blame it even for the Hundred Years War.

Mathematics

If these stories have not convinced you of the unlucky nature of the number 13, then let's return to more mundane mathematics. The 12 appears very often in our culture: 12 months of the year, 12 hours in a day, 12 signs of the Zodiac, 12 apostles of Jesus. We love 12 for a reason - it's a pseudo-ideal number because some of its divisors add up to a whole number.

It's your own fault

However, modern psychologists are confident that we ourselves have created this demon for ourselves. Stuart Weiss, a professor of psychology at Connecticut State College, recently published a seminal paper showing that it is only our own attitudes that fill the thirteenth with frightening events. If we could abstract ourselves from superstitions, Friday the thirteenth would be no different from an ordinary day.

Today is Friday the 13th. According to research, millions of people around the world consider this day to be ominous, and such Friday is called black Friday.

Friday the 13th. Why is she afraid?

There are several versions of why Friday the 13th is considered black. The most common ones are.

First version: We are talking about the biblical "Last Supper", in which 13 people participated, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which, according to the Gospel, took place on Friday.

The Last Supper is an event last days earthly life of Jesus Christ, who is spoken of in the Gospel. There he met with his twelve closest disciples, told the commandments about humility and Christian love, predicted the betrayal of one of his disciples and the fate of the Christian church.

Second version: In the Middle Ages, residents of European countries believed in Europe and also believed that on the night of Friday the 13th, witches held a Sabbath.

Third version: allegedly on Friday, October 13, 1307, the French king Philip IV ordered the arrest of members of the Templar Order. After which they were brutally tortured and executed. This story is popular these days after it was retold in Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code.

Leonardo da Vinci's fresco "The Last Supper"

Friday the 13th. Superstitions and examples

Those who believe in the magic of Friday the 13th pay attention to the following superstitions:

1) On this day you cannot leave the road or travel, it will be unlucky.

2) It is better to travel on foot rather than on public transport or your car, there is a possibility of accidents (researchers have scientifically disproved this).

3) You can’t get a new job - it will bring trouble.

4) You can't have a wedding - the marriage will break up.

5) You can't plant plants - they will dry out.

The phobia, when people are afraid of Friday the 13th, has its own name - paraskavedekatriaphobia (based on two Greek words - Friday and the 13th).

In fact, on this day there are no more incidents in the world than usual. But the most tragic thing is last years really scary. These are the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015.

There were several explosions in the city, including near the Stade de France stadium. People who visited several Parisian restaurants were also shot and there was a massacre at the Bataclan concert hall. 130 people were killed and 350 injured.

ISIS militants claimed responsibility for this horror. The terrorists called the attack "French September 11th."

Terrorist attack in Paris on Friday the 13th, 2015. Photos from open sources

Friday the 13th Pictures

For those who do not believe in the signs associated with Friday the 13th, we offer jokes and pictures that you can send via SMS to your friends.

What does Friday the 13th mean? Why is it associated with something bad and dark for many? And how much truth is hidden in all the rumors and superstitions associated with this mystical number?

In order to get to the truth, let's take a short excursion into the history of mankind and look there for information about Friday the 13th. And, believe me, there are a lot of them, and some of them really make you believe in the fatal power of this date. But first things first.

What does Friday the 13th mean today?

Despite the fact that it is the 21st century, people still believe in the existence of mystical forces and mysterious signs. One of the strangest is the superstition that Friday the 13th is a very bad day.

For some reason, people believe that on such days misfortune follows them on their heels. Therefore, particularly superstitious individuals try to give up all serious matters and stay away from anything that could harm their health. Sometimes it reaches the point of absurdity: those who are especially fearful lock themselves in their own rooms and refuse to contact the outside world.

Naturally, most people don't do this, because it's stupid. And yet the fact remains: with the arrival of Friday the 13th, here and there you can hear whispered stories about mysterious incidents associated with this day.

But when did it start? Who first began to consider this day dark? And why did this happen? In order to understand this, let's find out what Friday the 13th means in the understanding of our distant ancestors.

Mystical numbers in antiquity

The ancient Greeks were obsessed with numbers, which is probably why they became the forefathers of many geometric theories. In particular, they believed that 12 was an ideal number that symbolized order and harmony. But the number 13, on the contrary, was bad, since its existence upset the balance.

As for Friday, it was not considered dark or unlucky. Moreover, only on this day of the week was it allowed to hold celebrations in honor of the goddess Athena. Therefore, for the Greeks, Friday was more of a solemn date than a harbinger of misfortune.

Beliefs of our ancestors

If everything is clear with the Greeks, then what does Friday the 13th mean for the Slavs? It just so happened that for our ancestors this day of the week was sacred. It was here that the most important celebrations and rituals of those times fell.

The Slavs believed that the last Friday of the month is the day of the Mother of the World. Therefore, with her arrival, all women in Rus' had an extra-hour day off. They could do nothing and just enjoy the world around them.

The Slavs also had a special date: the “thirteenth” Friday of the year. It was calculated according to the lunar calendar and was a very important religious event. After all, it was on this day that rituals aimed at strengthening the clan were held. At the same time, both women and men took part in the celebration.

So, the girls prayed to the goddess of fertility to grant them her protection. As for the guys, they competed with each other in strength and endurance. And the ladies standing nearby could watch them and choose a worthy betrothed.

The sad fate of the Templars

As for the notoriety, according to scientists, it stuck to this day at the beginning of the 14th century, during the reign of Philip IV. And to be more precise, after he dealt with the Order of the Knights Templar.

This happened because the Holy Order began to gain too much power. Numerous people helped the knights acquire lands that brought huge profits. And where there is money, there is the opportunity to control others, including courtiers and even kings.

This order of things suited many monarchs, but not Philip IV, popularly nicknamed the Handsome. He did not want to share his power with the holy army, and therefore decides to get rid of them. On October 13, 1307, he issues a decree: to arrest all the Templars, and transfer their property to the disposal of the state.

A little later, most of the prisoners were burned at the stake as heretics and criminals of the faith. Moreover, the massacre fell on Friday the 13th. That is why it will be remembered for a long time as a bloody date.

Myths of Christianity

The Catholic Church added even more fuel to the fire by expressing its opinion on what Friday the 13th means. This number, in their opinion, has been famous since the beginning of time for its bad influence on people. So, it was on this day that Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, and sin fell on all people. In addition, on Friday the 13th, Cain killed Abel, forever staining this date with human blood.

Also, the unfortunate number brought a lot of troubles to Jesus Christ. First, according to some sources, he was crucified on Friday the 13th, making it a bad day in the eyes of his followers. Secondly, at the last supper, which became the last for the savior, 13 people were present. These may be mere coincidences, but many see them as bad omens.

That is why, if you ask a Christian: “What does Friday the 13th mean?”, he will most likely answer that it is And, taking into account all of the above, it will be very difficult to convince him otherwise.

Witches and witchcraft

Now let's talk about what Friday the 13th means for Satanists and witches. After all, if you think about it, this best time for dark charms and spells. And indeed, according to legend, it is on this day that all witches gather together. The Great Sabbath is what Friday the 13th means. The full moon falling on this date only enhances its significance for dark sorceresses and sorcerers.

What is going on at such a Sabbath? If you believe the stories of occultists, then such magical meetings are held at various places release of dark force. For example, it could be a cemetery, an old forest, or a long-ago battlefield. According to the laws of the Sabbath, it is conducted by 12 witches, and their 13th guest is the devil himself, who appears in the form of a goat or a man with a goat’s head.

Together they dance in a wild, shameless dance, thereby showing their love for sin and debauchery. A little later, an orgy begins, during which the wicked bestows his power on the witches. After which everyone scatters to their homes in order to continue to do evil and wreak havoc.

As for Satanists, they also love Friday the 13th. Even though they don’t organize covens, they still practice dark magic.

Dark dates associated with Friday the 13th

Over the long history of mankind, there have been hundreds of mysterious cases related to this fateful date. Unfortunately, it is impossible to list them all, so let’s focus only on the most significant of them:

• Thus, on October 13, 1066, the last Anglo-Saxon king, Harold II, refused the Normans’ offer to surrender the kingdom. As a result, his army still lost and the monarch himself died at the hands of his enemies.
• In 1791, British authorities decided to dispel mystical rumors about Friday the 13th. To do this, they built a new ship, which they named after the dark date. Moreover, he went to sea on Friday the 13th. Alas, their hopes were dashed, as the ship disappeared forever in the vast expanses of the ocean.
• This date was also unlucky for the great gangster Al Capone. After all, it was on Friday that he was arrested by Chicago police.
• The famous American Shakur has always been famous for his extraordinary luck. Throughout his career, he successfully evaded repeated attempts on his life. But on September 13, 1996, luck failed him, and the killer’s bullet still overtook Shakur.

Popularization of the myth

Today, almost everyone on the planet knows what Friday the 13th means. If we do not take into account the mystical origin of this myth, then a completely logical question arises: “How is it that everyone thinks this is a bad day?”

And it’s all the fault of television, which has repeatedly raised the topic of mysticism and witchcraft on its television shows and films. Just look at the American horror film called “Friday the 13th”, which reveals the life of a psychopathic maniac.

Psychics and fortune tellers also made a lot of noise. They constantly reassure their clients that Friday the 13th is a dark day indeed. Some clergy also join their opinion, which is true, the official church assures: there is nothing terrible about this date.

Famous refutation of the Black Friday myth

As soon as rumors spread that Friday the 13th was an unlucky number, those who wanted to refute them also appeared. And if in the case of the British ship the experiment was a failure, then our next hero achieved his goal.

It all started with the fact that a certain William Fowler decided to found a club that would dispel various mystical rumors and fictions. Naturally, such an organization should have an appropriate name. And therefore, William, without thinking twice, calls it the “Club of Thirteen”, because that’s exactly how many people are included in it. Moreover, the official opening is set for Friday, January 13, 1881.

Since the club's main goal was to destroy myths, they did everything possible to do this. For example, they ate dinner at a table on which salt was scattered, or walked through a door under a staircase. And here’s what makes me happy: during the entire existence of the club, nothing bad happened to its members.

Friday the 13th In many countries of the world it is considered an unlucky day when various big and small troubles occur. On this day, especially superstitious people generally try not to go out into the street, not to start new things and not to meet unknown people, so as not to become a victim of evil forces..

Baker's dozen

12 is a dozen, and 13 is a “devil’s dozen”, why? This number has long been considered negative in European culture (although, for example, among the Mayan Indians, the number 13 is a lucky number). There are many reasons for dislike of the number 13, most of them relate to mythology or religion. For example, 13 people were present at the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, and the last of them, Judas, ultimately betrayed the Savior. The Scandinavians have a legend that initially 12 gods sat at the heavenly table, but the 13th came - Loki - he started a quarrel, after which numerous misfortunes began.

Then the cause-and-effect relationships got mixed up, and now it is difficult to say, for example, whether 13 is considered unlucky because 13 witches gathered for the Sabbath, or whether so many of them gathered just because the number is demonic. The same applies to the gallows, to which, according to tradition, there are 13 steps, and to 13 ropes - turns of the rope on which the condemned person is hanged.

Fear of the number 13

The superstitious fear of the number 13 even has an unpronounceable scientific name"triskaidekaphobia." It is so common that in many European countries Avoidance of the number 13 is widespread. For example, in some buildings there is no 13th floor, and immediately after the 12th there is the 14th or 12A. In opera houses in Italy, sometimes there are no seats with this number, and on almost all ships, after the 12th cabin, the 14th immediately follows. Also, the 13th row is sometimes missing on airplanes.

Previously, there was a superstition, associated precisely with the Last Supper, that if 13 people gathered at the table, the last one who came would soon die. To avoid such an unfortunate set of circumstances, a special “fourteenth guest” was even invited to celebrations and official meetings. And in the USA, for example, due to the superstitiousness of many pilots, there is no F-13 fighter (the YF-12 was immediately followed by the F-14). The 13th number is also not used for cars participating in auto racing.

Friday is an unlucky day, and Friday the 13th is even more so

It is believed that Jesus Christ was crucified on Friday, so this day is unlucky. It's hard to say when these two solitudes, Friday and the number 13, came together to create some super unlucky days of the year. Perhaps the main legend about this day is associated with the Templar Order. This explanation is popular among esotericists and followers of alternative history.

On Friday, October 13, 1307, the French king Philip IV ordered the arrest of all members of the order, including the supreme leaders. A protracted process began, as a result of which the order was dissolved, and many Templars arrested in France were tortured and later executed.

Here is what the French esotericist and occultist Robert Ambelain writes about this: “The day was not chosen by chance. The king chose Friday as the day of Christ's crucifixion. He chose the 13th day of the month - a hint of an unlucky number. 13 was considered bad number in Homer (Iliad, V) and Cicero (Pro Cecina). In the Hebrew Kabbalah there were 13 Spirits of Evil, and the 13th mentioned in Scripture was Judas, who betrayed Christ.”

By the way, on Friday the 13th, terrible events, disasters and catastrophes actually took place in different years, the latest of which was the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, which claimed the lives of about 150 people. However, on other days, no less great misfortunes happened, so blaming the day of the week that coincided with the “devil” date for everything is unfair.

Signs of Friday the 13th

You cannot start traveling, as the road will be full of unpleasant surprises.

It is better not to get behind the wheel and not to go on the road at all, there is a great danger of an accident.

You should not have surgery on this day.

It is believed that a child born on such a day will have a difficult fate.

If you bury someone on Friday the 13th, you will soon have to bury someone else.

Do not plant anything in the garden on this day - there will be no harvest.

Do not cut your hair - it can be stolen by evil forces and damaged.

Don't take all the superstitions associated with Friday the 13th to heart, because being negative in itself can result in something bad.

There are a huge number of superstitions and signs in the world. Friday the 13th of any month is one of the most ominous dates. All the strange incidents that marked this day on this day are associated with her. The term “Friday the 13th” became famous after the release of a series of horror films of the same name.

Ominous date - Friday the 13th

Many people prefer not to make important appointments on this date, or put off serious matters. Paraskavedekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th.. This phobia is quite common, affecting more than sixty million people. Those who have a severe form of the disease prefer to spend this date at home, behind closed doors, not answering phone calls, completely limiting communication with the outside world, or even not getting out of bed to avoid trouble.

Number 13 is a symbol of dark forces

Friday the 13th falls once every two hundred and twelve days and is a mystical date in many countries with different culture. A myth around the number “thirteen” itself arose in the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a symbol of the Devil. According to old beliefs, it is on this mystical date that the Sabbath takes place, to which twelve witches flock, and at the height of the celebration, Satan joins them. Therefore, the number was called the “devil’s dozen.”

In the esoteric teaching called Kabbalah, there are thirteen evil spirits.

In Christian culture, the number thirteen was also considered ominous. It was Judas who was the thirteenth apostle who betrayed his teacher Jesus. This fact is described in the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John. Apocalypse or revelations of John the Theologian? this is the last, thirteenth book of the New Testament.

Christ was crucified on Friday, this is a proven historical fact. It was on this day that Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise because they ate the forbidden fruit. And Abel raised his hand against his brother Cain.

Historical facts that give Friday the thirteenth even more negative include the arrest of members of the Templar Order, which occurred in 1307. It was a fairly powerful organization, whose members were famous and wealthy people. Almost seven hundred years ago, the French king Philip, on Friday, October thirteenth, gave the order to capture and exterminate the knights of this order. Soon after their arrest, the Holy Inquisition declared them heretics and sentenced them to death by burning. This sentence was carried out and made Friday the 13th an even more ominous and mysterious day.

At the end of the eighteenth century, the English authorities built a ship called “Friday”. This name was invented in order to prove to the residents of England that the terrible superstition is absurd. Work on the construction of the ship began on Friday the 13th. It was decided to launch it on the same date. After the ship went beyond the horizon, no one ever saw it again. Its entire crew was declared missing.

Friday the 13th marked two more famous shipwrecks. On Friday, December 13th, 1907, the unique schooner Thomas W. Lawson was caught in a storm and sank. Its construction was initiated by the shipowner Crowley, who was the namesake of the then famous occultist. According to one version, this ship was named after the author of the then-famous novel “Friday the 13th”, in which the author described stock exchange scams that took place on this day, taking advantage of the fact that many people were afraid of the ominous date. But this fact has not been confirmed, since the schooner was launched in 1902, and the novel was published in 1907.

On the night of Friday January 13, 2013, off the coast of Italy, the cruise ship Costa Concordia hit a reef and partially sank. About four thousand people went on a trip on it. The crash occurred shortly after departure, and passengers did not have time to receive a full briefing.

But the sailors of Spain and Portugal still consider Friday the 13th a favorable day, since on this day Christopher Columbus set out on his journey, and it was marked by the discovery of America.

In Indiana, one of the American states, a law was passed according to which on Friday the 13th, owners of black cats must put collars with bells on them before letting them out for a walk.

In 1989, on January 13th, a computer virus called "Friday the 13th" struck many personal computers in England. Since few people had encountered viruses at that time, this caused terrible panic among users. As a result, the antivirus industry began to actively develop. But to this day, according to statistics, more virus attacks occur on Friday the 13th than on other days. Thus, launching virus attacks has become a kind of tradition among hackers.

In 1970, in February, famous group Black Sabbath, whose work was associated with the occult, released its album entitled “Friday the 13th.” The album rose to thirteenth place on the charts and marked the beginning of a new musical direction, the name of which translates as “heavy metal.”

According to statistics, more road accidents occur on this date in the UK than on other days. But in Holland these days their numbers are decreasing as people become more attentive. Surgeons try not to perform planned operations on this day, doctors? Quite superstitious people, they are sure that the risk of complications and failures increases.

The famous Dutch composer Arnold Schemberg suffered from paraskevedekatriaphobia. His date of birth was the thirteenth of September. He had been afraid of this number all his life. His birthday in 1951 was Friday, July 13th. The composer did not get out of bed all day and did not say a word. Before midnight, his wife began to start a conversation with him. The composer died as soon as he said the first word; on this day he turned seventy-six years old.

His Italian colleague Gioachino Antonio Rossini, who wrote more than forty operas, was also afraid of the number 13 and considered it unlucky. He died on Friday, October 13, 1968.

For those who love to travel, it will be interesting that on Friday the thirteenth, flight tickets are twenty percent cheaper, due to the fact that on this day the number of passengers decreases significantly. On the thirteenth, on other days of the week, plane prices are reduced by ten percent.

Psychologists observed a large group of people and drew attention to the fact that this particular date mysteriously affects human psyche. People on this day are much more prone to taking unnecessary risks.

For those who are afraid of this ominous date, it would be a good idea to visit church on this day and remember that in the culture of China and India the number “thirteen” is considered lucky. In Greece, Tuesday the 13th is an unlucky day, and in Spain they do not like the number 17. Even superstitious people need to remember that if you do not believe in bad omens, they will not come true, and then the ominous date will turn out to be an ordinary happy day.