Why Is Friday The 13th Considered Unlucky?

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Maybe it’s <em><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/triskaidekaphobia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkid="536e3a">triskaidekaphobia</a></em>, the fear of the number 13, that gets you down. But, if 13s don’t bother you unless it’s Friday, you might be susceptible to what’s sometimes known as <em>paraskevidekatriaphobia</em> or <em>friggatriskaidekaphobia</em>, instead. Whether you plan on purposely walking under ladders with black cats this Friday or staying tucked in bed, it’s worth diving into why Friday the 13th has a bit of a reputation.</p> <p> <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/friday#editors-notes-section-0" class="article__callout-link" target="_blank"> Read about the history of <em>Friday</em> and learn some more trivia here.</a> </p> <h2> <span id="fear-of-number-13"><strong>Why do people fear the number 13?</strong></span> </h2> <p>First, let’s get into 13. While many cultures have an issue with the odd number, there’s no one set of circumstances that would make it decidedly unlucky. Common theories behind the fear of 13 include</p> <ol> <li>Viking lore, where the unsavory <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/loki">Loki</a> is believed to be the 13th god in the Norse pantheon</li> <li>a biblical reference to the 13 people reportedly sitting at the table for Jesus’s last supper</li> <li>numerology, where 13 is in low regard because it follows 12, a very “complete” number. But, if you ask an architect why they omitted the 13th floor from a high-rise, they probably won’t bother citing a source for their superstition.</li> </ol> <h2> <span id="origin-of-friday"><strong>Where does the word <em>Friday</em> come from?</strong></span> </h2> <p>Friday was named for one of two Norse goddesses, <em><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/Freya" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkid="536e3a">Freya</a> </em>or <em><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/Frigg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkid="536e3a">Frigga</a></em>, and there exists to this day聽a <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/friday/">great deal of debate about the origin of the day’s name</a>. <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/friday#editors-notes-section-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Friday</em> is just one of the days of the week</a> named after a mythological figure. Tuesday derives its name from <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tiu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tiu</a>, war god of Anglo-Saxon mythology. Wednesday gets its name from <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/woden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woden</a>, the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of Odin. Thursday is named for <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/thor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thor</a>, hammer-wielding god of thunder (and son of Odin). While exclaiming “<a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/TGIF" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkid="536e3a">TGIF</a>” is common now, some traditions consider “Frigga’s Day” to be unlucky.</p> <div class='gf_browser_chrome gform_wrapper gform_wrapper_original_id_23 crb-sailthtru-subscribe_wrapper crb_inline_form_wrapper' id='gform_wrapper_1180580667' ><form method='post' enctype='multipart/form-data' id='gform_1180580667' class='crb-sailthtru-subscribe crb_inline_form' action='/e/triskaidekaphobia/'> <div class='gform_heading'> <p class='gform_title'>Keep Learning New Words Every Day!</p> <span class='gform_description'>Get the Word of The Day delivered straight to your inbox!</span> </div> <div class='gform_body'><ul id='gform_fields_1180580667' class='gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below'><li id='field_1180580667_1' class='gfield field_sublabel_below field_description_below hidden_label gfield_visibility_visible gfield--email gfield--large' ><label class='gfield_label' for='input_1180580667_1' ></label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_email'> <input name='input_1' id='input_1180580667_1' type='email' value='' class='large' placeholder='yourname@email.com' aria-invalid="false" /> </div></li><li id='field_1180580667_2' class='gfield gform_validation_container field_sublabel_below field_description_below gfield_visibility_visible gfield--honeypot gfield--' ><label class='gfield_label' for='input_1180580667_2' >Phone</label><div class='ginput_container'><input name='input_2' id='input_1180580667_2' type='text' value='' autocomplete='off'/></div><div class='gfield_description' id='gfield_description__2'>This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.</div></li> </ul></div> <div class='gform_footer top_label'> <input type='submit' id='gform_submit_button_1180580667' class='gform_button button' value='Sign Up' onclick='if(window["gf_submitting_1180580667"]){return false;} if( !jQuery("#gform_1180580667")[0].checkValidity || jQuery("#gform_1180580667")[0].checkValidity()){window["gf_submitting_1180580667"]=true;} ' onkeypress='if( event.keyCode == 13 ){ if(window["gf_submitting_1180580667"]){return false;} if( !jQuery("#gform_1180580667")[0].checkValidity || jQuery("#gform_1180580667")[0].checkValidity()){window["gf_submitting_1180580667"]=true;} jQuery("#gform_1180580667").trigger("submit",[true]); }' /> <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='is_submit_23' value='1' /> <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submit' value='23' /> <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_unique_id' value='' /> <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='state_23' value='WyJbXSIsImI4NDFhMDc0ODQ4ODY4ODYzNjM3OGI5MmQ5MGZkYmRjIl0=' /> <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_target_page_number_23' id='gform_target_page_number_23' value='0' /> <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_source_page_number_23' id='gform_source_page_number_23' value='1' /> <input type='hidden' name='gform_random_id' value='1180580667' /><input type='hidden' name='gform_field_values' value='' /> </div> </form> </div><script type='text/javascript'>document.addEventListener( "DOMContentLoaded", function() { jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 1180580667) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); }, false );</script><script type='text/javascript'>document.addEventListener( "DOMContentLoaded", function() { jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [1180580667, 1]) } ); }, false );</script> <h2> <span id="what-makes-friday-the-13th-unlucky"><strong>Why is Friday the 13th unlucky?</strong></span> </h2> <p>The day’s connection to a Norse goddess is not the only theory as to why Friday the 13th is unlucky though. Some Christians believe that Christ was crucified on a Friday. Friday was also once known as “hangman’s day” in ancient Rome and Britain because it was usually the day that condemned people would be hanged.</p> <p>It’s likely that these two sets of unlucky lists just add up to make Friday and 13 an intense combination for superstition. And of course, if you’re expecting unlucky things to happen, you might even change your habits on days like this. Multiple studies speculate that businesses lose millions of dollars in revenue each Friday the 13th because some people avoid regular behaviors like traveling or making investments.</p> <p>The term and superstition related to Friday the 13th rose to great <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/prominence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prominence</a> in 1980 with the release of the slasher horror film <i>Friday the 13th</i>, starring the undead, machete-wielding, hockey goalie mask-wearing murderer <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/fictional-characters/jason-voorhees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Voorhees</a> (first played by Ari Lehman).</p> <div class="has-video-player video-module"> <h3 class="video-title" id="video-title--HyAYCaubQ-1732461015-0" > WATCH: <span class="video-title__inner">Four Reasons Why Friday The 13th Is Unlucky</span> </h3> <div class="video-player video-player--player " id="video-player--HyAYCaubQ-1732461015-0" data-playlist="true" 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