It's Friday 13th!

Image from ravenblackcat.com

Batten down the hatches, the most superstitious day aside from Halloween, Friday the 13th is upon us. Not only has the supposed ‘unlucky’ 13th landed on a Friday, but it just so happens to coincide with a full moon, which won’t happen again until August 2049! Legends dictate that a full moon on Friday 13th will create the most misfortune and be the unluckiest day of the year. Many people will be too terrified to even leave the comfort of their own homes today as there are a number of superstitions attached to this date. Having a fear of Friday 13th is called Paraskevidekatriaphobia.

The origins of the superstitions surrounding this date are unknown, but attributed to a variety of possible sources worldwide. The number 13 is regularly thought of as unlucky, which may have a religious explanation.  There were 13 guests at the last supper, where Judas betrayed Jesus, who was supposed to have been crucified on a Friday. It was also speculated that Cain killed his brother Abel on Friday 13th, possibly giving an explanation for death and misfortune being closely linked with the date. A quirky interpretation is that numerologists view the number 12 as a ‘complete’ number (12 months in a year, 12 apostles etc.) which then makes 13 unnerving and ‘incomplete’.

There are many other mythical explanations for the unlucky association with 13. In Nordic myth, 12 gods attending a party were interrupted by a 13th, Loki an evil God who caused the death of a member of the group. In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Friday was referred to as a very misfortunate day and was reportedly ‘hangman’s day’ in Britain creating an explicit link with death.

Similarly, there are a number of superstitious beliefs attached to a full moon, some are positive such as asking a full moon for money in your wallet will supposedly bring you wealth. Though famously, the full moon has been used in works of science fiction as a trigger for supernatural beings such as werewolves to transform and wreak havoc in the world. Many superstitions surrounding the full moon coincide with those of Friday 13th. Check out this list below of popular superstitions and spooky ‘facts’:

-    A haircut on Friday 13th will cause a family death
-    A passing funeral procession on Friday 13th means you will be next
-    It takes 13 witches to form a coven
-    Sleeping under a full moon will mean serious harm or death
-    Tarot card 13 is the death card depicted by a grim reaper
-    If 13 people sit at a table, the first to leave will die

 

Image from gaizy.hubpages.com

So why are we obsessed with death and superstition? People purposely avoid driving and other activities on Friday 13th as they truly believe it is a day full of misfortune and danger. These beliefs seem so rooted in modern society that many high rise and apartment buildings to this day omit the 13th floor and some airports do not have a 13th gate.

A psychology professor, Stuart Vyse suggests "If nobody bothered to teach us about these negative taboo superstitions like Friday the 13th, we might in fact all be better off”. Interestingly this statement applies to the taboo surrounding talking about death. Children are very matter of fact when it comes to this subject; it is only when as adults we impose our fears and superstitions on younger generations that issues become forbidden and taboo. One superstition that affects many people is the idea or fear that talking about death will make it happen sooner; in a sense you are ‘tempting fate’. But this is simply not true. Death is not a subject that we should think or talk about all the time, we should enjoy and make the most of life, however, we should not be afraid to discuss such an important topic and prepare for that certain eventuality we all will face.