Emily Chan
Just like breaking a mirror or crossing paths with a black cat, Friday the 13th is known for causing situations of bad luck.
Some folks are so afraid of what Friday the 13th might bring that they refuse to leave their homes and hide behind locked doors that day.
There’s actually an official name for fear of Friday the 13th, and it’s paraskevidekatriaphobia. Try saying that five times fast.
But where did the superstition of Friday the 13th come from? What turned a seemingly harmless day into a day to be feared? Here’s a list of historical reasons that can explain why the day is considered unlucky.
The origins of the day have Biblical ties and have to do with the Last Supper that Jesus held before his crucifixion. The Bible states that there were 13 disciples in attendance at dinner. Judas was the 13th guest at the table and was responsible for Jesus’s death.
That death happened on a Friday. Together, the two factors resulted in the superstition. So if you’re really worried about it, maybe it would be best not to host any dinner parties on Friday the 13th.
Like many other myths and traditions, the idea of Friday the 13th being a day of misfortune may have started during medieval times. Friday was referred to as an unlucky day as far back as the 14th century.
A medieval society called the Knights Templar was also linked to Friday the 13th since the organization’s members were arrested that day. However, this is not where the superstition really comes from.
The Templars had money and power and were arrested because the King of France, Philip IV, accused them of being heretics so he could obtain their assets. No spooky magic or witchcraft was involved there.
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