When Did We Start the Friday the 13th Superstition?

Friday the 13th is a date that strikes fear into the hearts of many. Whether it’s avoiding travel plans, postponing important decisions, or simply feeling a sense of unease, the superstition surrounding this day has taken deep root in our culture. But how did this notorious date come to be seen as a harbinger of bad luck? The origins of the Friday the 13th superstition aren’t as ancient as you might expect, and the journey from obscure numerological fears to a pop culture phenomenon is full of fascinating twists and turns. So, when did we start believing in the curse of Friday the 13th? Let’s unravel the mystery.

The Building Blocks: The Number 13 and Friday’s Unlucky Past

Before Friday the 13th became a unified superstition, there were separate beliefs around both Fridays and the number 13. To understand how these two unlucky forces collided, we need to look at their individual histories.

The fear of the number 13 is older than the Friday the 13th superstition and comes from a long tradition of numerology in which 12 is considered a complete and harmonious number. Ancient civilizations, including the Mesopotamians and Greeks, revered the number 12 as a symbol of perfection and order. The calendar is divided into 12 months, the zodiac has 12 signs, and there were 12 major gods in ancient Greek mythology. But the number 13 throws off that balance, representing something extra and unsettling.

In many cultures, the fear of 13 goes beyond simple unease. In Norse mythology, Loki, the mischievous trickster god, is the 13th guest at a banquet in Valhalla, which ends with the tragic death of Balder, the god of beauty and light. Similarly, in Christianity, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th person to sit down at the Last Supper. These stories planted the seeds for 13’s reputation as an unlucky number.

Fridays, on the other hand, have their own bad reputation. In many Christian traditions, Friday was associated with penance, fasting, and sorrow, because it was the day Jesus was crucified. Over time, Fridays became linked to a variety of tragic or cursed events in Western culture. For example, it was believed by some that Eve gave Adam the forbidden fruit on a Friday, that the Great Flood began on a Friday, and that the Temple of Solomon fell on a Friday. In Britain’s maritime culture, sailors often refused to set sail on Fridays due to the belief it would bring bad luck.

These two separate strands of superstition—one focused on Fridays, the other on the number 13—existed for centuries before they merged into the Friday the 13th superstition we know today.

The Modern Birth of Friday the 13th Superstition

So, when did these superstitions about 13 and Friday come together to form the specific fear of Friday the 13th? Interestingly, there is little evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th was considered an unlucky day before the late 19th or early 20th century.

One of the first known references to Friday the 13th as a day of bad luck appears in the early 1900s. The superstition may have been solidified in popular consciousness thanks to a novel by Thomas W. Lawson titled Friday, the Thirteenth, published in 1907. The book tells the story of a ruthless stockbroker who deliberately chooses Friday the 13th to launch a panic in the stock market, knowing that the date's bad reputation would fuel fear and chaos. The novel was popular at the time, and while it was a work of fiction, it helped cement the idea that Friday the 13th was a day to be feared.

However, Friday, the Thirteenth didn’t come out of nowhere. The 19th century saw a rise in the popularity of superstitions, especially in Western Europe and America. Victorians were particularly fascinated by the occult, spiritualism, and the supernatural, and many old superstitions found new life during this era. Friday the 13th emerged during a period when people were already primed to believe in bad omens and curses, making it a ripe time for a new superstition to take hold.

Historical Events: Fact or Folklore?

Despite the modern origins of Friday the 13th, some people point to historical events as potential triggers for the superstition. One of the most famous is the mass arrest of the Knights Templar, which occurred on Friday, October 13, 1307. On this day, the French king Philip IV, deeply in debt to the Templars, ordered their arrest on charges of heresy. The Templars were a powerful and wealthy religious order, and their fall was swift and brutal. Many were tortured or executed, and the order was dissolved. Some conspiracy theorists argue that this dark chapter in history contributed to the rise of Friday the 13th as an unlucky day.

However, there’s little historical evidence to suggest that people at the time associated the date with bad luck, and the connection between this event and the superstition seems to have been retrofitted in modern times.

Another theory ties the superstition to events surrounding the Apollo 13 mission. In 1970, the space mission suffered a catastrophic oxygen tank explosion on April 13, though it wasn’t a Friday. While the number 13 certainly became notorious after this near-disaster, there is no direct connection to Friday the 13th, though the event may have helped perpetuate the idea that 13 is an unlucky number.

The Role of Pop Culture

While the origins of Friday the 13th superstition were still relatively obscure in the early 20th century, it didn’t take long for it to explode into the mainstream, thanks in large part to Hollywood. The true cultural tipping point for Friday the 13th came with the release of the 1980 horror film Friday the 13th. Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, this slasher film introduced the world to the infamous Camp Crystal Lake and the relentless killer Jason Voorhees. The film was an unexpected hit, spawning a massive franchise with over a dozen sequels, and firmly rooting Friday the 13th in pop culture as a day associated with horror and bad luck.

The success of the Friday the 13th movies helped elevate the superstition beyond mere folklore, turning it into a staple of popular culture. Today, it’s not uncommon to see Friday the 13th celebrated with themed events, movie marathons, and even parties. What was once a day shrouded in fear has, in some circles, become a time for horror fans to revel in their love for all things spooky.