Why is friday the 13th associated with bad luck?

Answer 1

A Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck in English, German, Polish and Portuguese-speaking cultures around the globe. Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions. In Greece or Spain, for example, Tuesday the 13th takes the same role. In Russia, the unlucky day is Monday. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia (a word that is derived from the concatenation of the Greek words Παρασκευή, δεκατρείς, and φοβία, meaning Friday, thirteen, and phobia respectively; alternative spellings include paraskevodekatriaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia) or friggatriskaidekaphobia, and is a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a phobia (fear) of the number thirteen.


History of Friday the 13th

No historical date has been verifiably identified as the origin of the superstition. Before the 20th century, although there is evidence that the number 13 was considered unlucky, and Friday was considered unlucky, there was no link between them. The first documented mention of a "Friday the 13th" is generally listed as occurring in the early 1900s.

However, many popular stories exist about the origin of the concept:

The popular painting of the Last Supper, with stories that Judas numbered among the thirteen guests (Jesus plus his 12 apostles), and that the Crucifixion of Jesus occurred Friday. However, Judas was not actually present for the latter part of the Last Supper according to the Bible Canon because he had left in order to bring Jesus' betrayal to a conclusion later that night (John 13:27-30 and previous context). Therefore, for the majority of The Last Supper, there were only 11 faithful apostles along with Jesus making the total number of those present 12.

That the biblical Eve offered the fruit to Adam on a Friday, and that the slaying of Abel happened on a Friday (though the Bible does not identify the days of the week when these events occurred).

Friday 13th October 1066 was the very last day of the reign of the Saxon King Harold II. On this day, William, Duke of Normandy offered Harold the option of ceding the crown; Harold declined the offer. The Battle of Hastings took place the following day (Saturday 14th October 1066). Harold was slain and William took control of England.

Many modern stories (including The Da Vinci Code) claim that when King Philip IV had many Knights Templar simultaneously arrested on Friday, October 13, 1307, that started the legend of the unlucky Friday the 13th. In 1314 on Friday the 13th Jaques de Mollay, the last grand master of the Knights Templar, was burnt at the stake. He layed a curse on both the Pope and the king of France with his last breath, saying that within a a year both would be judged by God. Within 6 months both were dead.

Friday and 13 were both sacred to the Norse goddess Freyja, so Friday 13th was especially sacred. Christians who wished to suppress her worship said the day was unlucky.
In the case of Greece, Tuesday, April 13, 1204 was the date that Constantinople was sacked by the crusaders of the Fourth Crusade. The first-ever fall of what was then the richest Christian city, and the looting that followed, allegedly gave Tuesday 13 its bad meaning. Coincidentally, Constantinople fell for the second time in its history on Tuesday, May 29, 1453, to the Ottoman Turks, a date that puts an end to the Byzantine empire, and to Greek sovereignty for several centuries, and therefore reinforcing Tuesday as an unlucky day in the Greek world.-

Answer 2

^Friday the 13th is an unlucky day in much of Western Europe, North America, and Australia. Many people avoid travel and avoid signing contracts on Friday the 13th. Floors in tall buildings often skip from 12 to 14. And while the superstition is believed to be fading, it nonetheless has deep roots in both Christian and pagan culture.

The Day Jesus Was Crucified?
Many Christians have long believed that Friday was unlucky because it was the day of the week when Jesus was crucified. The number 13 was believed to bring bad luck because there were 13 people at The Last Supper. Since there were 12 tribes of Israel, that number was considered lucky.

Roots in Norse Mythology
Thirteen was also a sinister number in Norse mythology. Loki, one of the most evil of the Norse gods, went uninvited to a party for 12 at Valhalla, a banquet hall of the gods. As a result, he caused the death of Balder, the god of light, joy, and reconciliation. Loki tricked Balder's blind brother, Hod, into throwing a sprig of mistletoe at Balder's chest. Since mistletoe was the only thing on Earth fatal to Balder, the beloved god fell dead.

Literature and Folk Wisdom
During the Middle Ages, the superstition against Friday the 13th grew. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars and sixty of his senior knights in Paris. Thousands of others were arrested elsewhere in the country. After employing torture techniques to compel the Templars to "confess" to wrongdoing, most were eventually executed and sympathizers of the Templars condemned Friday the 13th as an evil day. Over time a large body of literature and folk wisdom have reinforced the belief. In the 18th century, the HMS Friday was launched on Friday the 13th. It was never heard from again. Since then, ships are not usually launched on that date. (Click here for other mysterious ship disappearances.)

Answer 3

13 is sayed to be a very unlucky number and since Friday is supposed to be the best day of the week, it would be bad luck for a Friday to land on the 13th. I got sick on Friday the 13th once.

Answer 4

1) Well yes, 'unlucky' things have happened to me, they have happened to most people. However, I prefer to call the occurings 'unfortunate' rather than 'unlucky'. I don't remember any specific negative events happening on a Friday 13th. 2) No, I'm not even slightly superstitious - I think it's ridiculous and I find it embarrassing that people in this day and age still believe in such nonsense. I don't see what the difference is in believing that the umbrella superstition is 'BS' but Ouija boards make you uncomfortable. It makes no difference. It's still a superstition, you're just applying it to a different object. One superstition isn't somehow above another.

Answer 5

Because it's the day when Friday the 13th is suppose to air!

Answer 6

I believe it was a Friday the 13th when the French King first cracked down on the Knights Templer. Accusing them of all sorts of blasphemy and heresy, in order to get out of paying the money he owed them, and steal their wealth.

Answer 7

Final attempt to get rid of the Knights Templars! They are alleged to have been rounded up on Friday the 13th and put to death by the Catholics!

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Because there were 13 at The Last Supper when Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

Answer 10

the number 13 is bad luck and it was supposed to be on friday that jesus died.