Friday the 13th Superstitions

Ranging from bizarre to downright unbelievable Friday the 13th superstitions will leave you cowering in fear or laughing in gusto. A look at Friday the 13th history just tells you how this superstitious belief came into existence.

Right from the fear that grips our mind when a black cat crosses our path to uttering ‘God Bless’ when we hear someone sneezing, superstitious beliefs have become an integral part of our lives. We just can’t seem to carry on without following them religiously, even if it means sacrificing on some of the basic responsibilities of our life. When we talk about superstitious beliefs, the beliefs associated with Friday the 13th deserve a special mention. Friday the 13th is one of the most widely followed bad luck superstitions in the world. Such is the fear associated with this day, that people just can’t seem to stick to their daily routine. The data compiled by Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute (North Carolina) suggests that around 17 to 21 million Americans are affected by the fear associated with this day of the year. The financial losses incurred on this day amount to as much as USD $800 million every year. On this allegedly inauspicious day, we decided to compile a list of some prominent Friday the 13th superstitions, but before we move on to them let’s have a look at the history of Friday the 13th.

Friday the 13th History

A look at the history of Friday the 13th reveals that this date bears the brunt of bad luck associated with number 13 (allegedly the unluckiest number) and Friday (allegedly the unluckiest day). Number 13 has always been considered an unlucky number mainly due to its association with various occurrences of the past. While some associate it with the instance of Norse mythology, wherein the god of joy and gladness – Balter was killed in a deceitful manner by Loki – the god of discord and mischief who was coincidentally the 13th guest, while others associate it with the Last Supper wherein the 13th guest was Judas, who betrayed Jesus to his enemies for 30 pieces of silver.

As far as the association of bad luck with Friday is concerned, it can be traced back to the fact that Jesus was crucified on this unfaithful day. Some citations in history also suggest that Cain killed Able on this very day of the week. The fear of Friday the 13th is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia, which is derived by combining the words frigga, meaning Friday, and triskaidekaphobia, meaning the phobia of number 13. Over a period of time, the belief that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day has just become more and more prominent, thus engulfing the entire society in a state of paralysis attributed to unknown fear.

Friday the 13th Superstitions List

An ‘accident’ is a broad concept which includes anything ranging from a safety pin pricking your finger to meeting with a car accident, and this very fact plays a crucial role when it comes to labeling of Friday the 13th as unlucky day. Basically, the slightest bad thing that happens to you on Friday the 13th is bound to stay with you forever, even if it is just about forgetting your wallet at home. That being said given below is a list of Friday the 13th superstitions, some of which may take you by surprise.

• If you were born on Friday the 13th your entire life will be marked by bad luck.
• You should never cut your hair on Friday the 13th, as it results in a death in the family.
• If you change your bed on Friday, you will see bad dreams throughout the night.
• If you were to pass a funeral procession on Friday the 13th, you will die the very next day.
• If you were to leave the calendar on Friday the 13th, you will be killed by a witch the very next day.
• Cutting you nails on Friday the 13th is again a bad omen which can bring you some serious bad luck.
• This is a very bad day for new beginning, and thus starting a new business on this day will only call for a disaster.
• Similarly, starting out on a trip on Friday is considered to bring misfortune for you.
• According to a deep rooted superstition, Friday the 13th is a very bad day to consult the astrologer.
• Ships that set sail on Friday 13th are much more likely to end in a disaster.

That was a brief account pertaining to the history and superstitions on Friday the 13th. Many people have tried to eliminate these Friday the 13th superstitions from society by purposely resorting to important activities on this day. That, however, has done a very little good to this day which is more popular as the unluckiest day of the year. While a large number of sources allege that being born on Friday the 13th brings you bad luck for the entire life, there also exist some sources which state that you are a lucky person if you are born on this day. At the end of the day, these are just superstitions which are engraved in your mind. If at all we want to get rid of these Friday the 13th superstitions from society, each of us has to get the faith and beliefs associated with it, out of our minds. One of the most interesting, but lesser known facts about Friday the 13th is that it can occur at least once, and at the most thrice, in a single year as per the Gregorian calendar.