Afraid to go out of the house this Friday? You're not alone, many people suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobia, a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th. Others are affected by Triskaidekaphobia, the fear of 13. Not to worry though, June the 13th is the only Friday that falls on the 13th this year!
Now, on to your question, "Why is Friday the 13th so unlucky?" The belief that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day is derived from two long-standing superstitions, the fear of the number 13 and a negative association with Friday itself. The two superstitions are part of a long and fragmented history making it difficult to pinpoint their origin.
The unlucky 13 seems to have ancient origins giving room for plenty of speculation as to why the number came to be considered unlucky. Some theories argue that there are mathematical reasons for the fear of 13, others believe that 13 came to be associated with unlucky events. Whatever the reasons, it is clear that 13 shows up time and time again as the object upon which people have historically projected fear and uncertainty. One of the first texts to reflect this view is Work and Days written by in 700 B.C.E. in which the Greek poet Hesiod mentions the 13th day of the month as an unlucky day for sewing seeds. Unlucky 13 is incorporated in the story of the Last Supper at which Judas was the 13th guest.1
Negativity towards Fridays can be traced as far back as the 16th century in western literature. The term "friday-faced," meaning sad-looking, and "friday-look," meaning a solemn look, surfaced as early as the the late 1500s. In 1592, Greene wrote, "The Foxe made a Fridayface, counterfeiting sorrow." The expression was used again in 1681 by Robertson who wrote, "What makes you look so sad, and moodily? with such a Friday face." Early in the next century Rowley spoke of a "plague of Friday mornings!" in Match of Midnight.2 Why there's a negative association with Friday is subject to speculation.
It's unclear when the bad luck of 13 and supertitions of Friday coincided. One historic event is often cited. On Friday 13, 1307, members of the Knights of Templar were arrested and their leader was killed. It came to be recognized as an unlucky date in the calendar. However, according to Lachenmeyer, Friday the 13th didn't show up in lists of unlucky days until the 20th century.3
I hope this cursory history gives you just a taste of the superstitions surrounding this auspicious date. If you're interested in learning more about the theories of the origin of Friday the 13th, check out 13: The Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition by Lachenmeyer. It's located in the Lincoln Park Stacks at 133.3359 L137t 2004. You can find other books on superstitions located in our library catalog.
1) Lachenmeyer, Nathaniel. "The Origins of Unlucky 13." 13: the Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition. Thunder Mouth's Press: New York, 2004.
2) "Friday." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2008.
3) Lachenmeyer, Nathaniel. "The Rise of 13." 13: the Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition. Thunder Mouth's Press: New York, 2004.
*Hiironniemi, Mika. Stand. 2005. <http://www.flickr.com>.
