The day Friday the 13th has been coming onto the calendar with fear, superstition, and curiosity mixed every time. Other people do not make any big decisions, do not travel or even go out of their houses, whilst others find it as any other day. The superstition associated with Friday the 13th being an unlucky day has a long history, religious, and popular culture association. But just how true is it, and how much is it just a mere myth?
Religious and Historical Origins
The Friday the 13th superstition is somehow associated with religious tales, specifically within Christianity. Judas, the 13th guest at the table, was the one who would betray Jesus at the Last Supper. It was on the next day, Good Friday, that Jesus was crucified. The association of the number 13 with bad luck became so ingrained into Western culture that it led to the fame of the day as an unlucky day.
Friday in particular, and the day of the week in general, was regarded as unlucky long before the modern superstition arose. During the Middle Ages, the day Friday was somehow connected to bad luck and confession due to the proximity to the death of Christ. The unlucky day of Friday, coupled with the superstition regarding the number 13, made a day many consider one of the most unlucky on the calendar.
The Knights Templar and Historical Events
A major historical instance associated with Friday the 13th happened in 1307. On Friday, October 13, King Philip IV of France issued an order to arrest the Knights Templar en masse. A lot of the members of this influential order were tortured and killed, which became another dark mark in the history of the date. This is one event that has been pointed out as having led to the auspices of Friday the 13th being linked to doom.
To add to its reputation, other tragic events occurred on this date in the course of history. They have contributed to the superstition over the years, although some disasters are purely coincidental.
Pop Culture and Media Influence
Modern times made the fear of Friday the 13th even stronger with the help of books, movies, and popular culture. Friday the 13th is a 1980 horror movie that made the date synonymous with terror to many people. The success of the movie spawned a long franchise that continued to associate the date with fear and bad fortune.
Books and tales have also superadded the superstition. The 19th-century writers had cited Friday the 13th as an unlucky day, and the notion went on to different sections of the world. These fictional stories, over time, influenced the thinking of the masses, and the superstition became even more common.
Is There Any Scientific Basis?
Although this day is feared because of its scary reputation, there is no scientific record to show that Friday the 13th is either more harmful or unlucky compared to any other day. The scholars who have investigated accident rates, emergency room visits, and financial markets on this date have not discovered any common tendency of ill fate.
Psychologists have proposed that the expectation of bad things to occur on Friday the 13th is what makes people more apt to notice them. It is called confirmation bias and makes individuals recall any minor negative experience and disregard the ordinary, without-incidents portion of the day. The superstition is really self-feeding.
The Fear Becomes a Phobia
To certain individuals, fear on Friday the 13th is more than just a mere superstition. Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a fear that really makes the protagonists nervous and even panics. They might not want to work, travel, or do something important on this day because they are too scared.
Some cultures have small rituals that they observe to prevent bad omens on Friday the 13th. This can be in the form of not doing particular things, wearing lucky charms, or doing things in accordance with family beliefs, which they think gives them protection.
