The last Friday the 13th of the year is just around the corner. If you avoid walking under ladders or opening umbrellas indoors, you might take a little extra care on November 13, too.
The number 13 has long been associated with bad luck, and stories from Norse mythology and Christian tradition offer possible explanations. But how Friday became part of the superstition is less clear.
Why is the day considered unlucky?
Although historians generally agree the link between Friday and the number 13 wasn’t established until the 19th century, one particular Friday the 13th remains famous as the beginning of the end of the Knights Templar, back in the 14th century.
After centuries of building power and wealth, the downfall of the European monastic military order began in the early morning hours of Friday, October 13, 1307, with a series of arrests.
In the UK, Friday used to be known as “Hangman’s Day”, when those who had been condemned to death would be sent to the gallows. Cementing the day as an unlucky one was a novel by American businessman Thomas W Lawson, titled Friday, the Thirteenth, in which a broker capitalises on superstition to start a panic on Wall Street on Friday the 13th.
The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.
Is the number 13 unlucky?
Many cultures have superstitions centred on the number 13. According to folklore, the number gained its unlucky connotations in Norse mythology, owing to a story about 12 gods at a dinner party in Valhalla. Uninvited, Loki shows up as the 13th guest and persuades Hoor, the blind son of Odin, to shoot Balder, another of Odin’s sons, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Balder dies and the tragedy is associated with the number 13.
In Christianity, there were 12 disciples at Jesus Christ's last supper on Maundy Thursday, the night before his crucifixion. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would betray Jesus, was the 13th man to take his seat.
Nods to the superstition can be found in modern culture, with many buildings and hotels omitting a 13th floor, going from 12 straight to 14, while some airlines do not have a row 13.
Tuesday the 13th and Friday the 17th are unlucky, too
In Hispanic and Greek culture, Tuesday the 13th is traditionally considered an unlucky day and is known as martes trece. In Greece, Tuesday is the day associated with Ares the deity of war, and Constantinople, as it was then called, fell twice on a Tuesday: in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, and in 1453 to the Ottomans.
In Italy, however, the number 13 is actually considered lucky, while Friday the 17th is the unlucky day. Alitalia, the country's airline, does not feature row 17 on its planes.
The connection between the number 17 and bad luck is owing to the Roman numerals for 17, XVII, which when rearranged, create the word VIXI. The word translates as “I have lived”, the past tense of which implies death.
Can Friday the 13th bring good fortune?
While Friday the 13th is widely feared as a day of bad luck, it can also bring unexpected fortune to those who choose to embrace it. Because superstition prompts many people to stay home and delay major plans, the date frequently offers real-world perks such as cheaper airfares, empty flights, shorter wait times at restaurants, and even fewer traffic accidents due to extra-cautious drivers.
Beyond everyday conveniences, the day has also delivered life-changing windfalls.
In 2023, the date produced a record $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot in the US. The same year, it also transformed the life of a Dubai resident, Russel Tuazon, a shopkeeper from the Philippines, who won the Dh15 million ($4.08 million) in the Emirates Draw grand prize after picking numbers using his family’s birthdays and ages.
“When I came to this country as a teenager, I had no idea my life could change the way it did,” Tuazon said.
The date even serves as the ultimate lucky charm for celebrities such as Taylor Swift, who was born on the 13th and has achieved massive milestones on the day.
The number 13 itself is celebrated as a symbol of prosperity in countries such as Italy and China, proving that one person's omen of doom is easily another's lucky break.
