Why is Friday the 13th considered an unlucky day?

When we talk about Friday 13 the first things that come to our mind are probably: the villain Jason Voorhees (from the famous horror movies) and bad luck. In general, we associate darker attributes, characters and symbols with this emblematic date in the history of the human race. But why does Friday the 13th have such a negative reputation?

As with other festivals and traditions, the meaning of Friday the 13th is uncertain. There is a plurality of responses passed down from generation to generation throughout history that, then, enshrined the date in what it is today: a day of terror. Even without a concrete explanation, three justifications are among the most cited and we will bring them to you now.

The first answer refers to Christianity and the context of the Bible. For followers of this religion, the number 13 is a cursed number because it is the exact number of people who were present at the Last Supper of Jesus Christthe 13th apostle being the traitor Judas Iscariot🇧🇷 Jesus would then be crucified shortly afterwards, on a Friday.

There is yet another popular explanation which says that, in numerology, 13 is a number that breaks the barrier of “completeness”. Such a characteristic could be seen in 12, a number considered “full” and “whole”.

The second assumption is that bad luck on this date would be related to the death of the god Balder (or Baldur), worshiped in Norse mythology. The scene is similar to the Holy Supper: 12 gods were invited to a great feast in Valhalla, where they meet. Only one was left out, Loki🇧🇷 Enraged at not being included in the celebration, he caused Balder’s death and wreaked havoc among the rest.

Just like in the Christian creed, the thirteenth participant in the story brought with him misfortune and misfortune to others.

The day of Friday that we know came to be baptized in honor of Frigga, goddess of love and beauty, (which, not coincidentally, generated the word Friday, whose meaning is “Friday” in English). Also coming from Nordic culture, the goddess had her image radically changed when the countries that praised her converted to Christianity.

Frigga would eventually become an evil witch who, according to legend, was exiled to a mountain. Seeking revenge, she gathered 11 other witches and a demon (totaling 13 with her presence) every Friday to conjure plagues on humans who rejected her.

There are still other rumors circulating about the origin of the bad reputation of Friday the 13th, such as the day the king Philip IVduring the French monarchy, ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar for having been rejected by them, on October 13, 1307.

The Black Cat Question

A curiosity worth remembering is the fact that the black cat has been a symbol of bad luck for a long time. There are legends that say that the black feline would be related to pacts with the devil and, because of this, they were even persecuted in the mid-15th century.

The color of the fur and the nocturnal habits of the little animal made it associated with the practice of witchcraft and became a symbol of bad omen. And this is interesting to note since centuries before the Egyptians treated cats as a deity and not with contempt, quite the opposite.

Now, in 2019, we know very well that the black cat has nothing to do with your bad luck, right? Leave the bug alone – or rub its belly this Friday the 13th for a dose of cuteness and good luck.

Nowadays, despite so much superstition, many people like to “celebrate” the date by participating in a spooky party or binge-watching terrifying movies. And you, do you know what you’re going to do this Friday the 13th?