The reputation of Friday the 13th as an unlucky day often traces back to one of history’s most dramatic events—the crucifixion of Jesus. Over time, the date accumulated a tangle of superstitions and stories that people believe bring misfortune. The Daily Mail has traced these and other fatal coincidences back through folklore and history.
The Fatal Supper and the Curse of the Templars
At the Last Supper, twelve disciples gathered—and Judas was the thirteenth guest at the table; he went on to betray Jesus. After the trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Since then, the combination of that day and that number became associated with betrayal and death. In remembrance of those events, believers still fast on Good Friday, and the date has earned a reputation as a “black” day.
History records another instance of mass betrayal tied to this date, a story popularized in modern fiction by Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code.” In October 1307, King Philip IV of France, with the cooperation of Pope Clement V, ordered a crackdown on the Knights Templar. The knights were arrested en masse, and Grand Master Jacques de Molay was later burned at the stake. That arrest campaign began on a Friday the 13th, and de Molay reportedly cursed his executioners before he died. When both the king and the pope died within a year, many people saw the timing as proof that the day brought misfortune.
Why the Number 13 Became “Unlucky”
Numerologists and historians say the fear of the number 13 didn’t come out of nowhere. The number 12 has long been a symbol of completeness and order. We have 12:
- months in a year,
- Olympian gods,
- tribes of Israel.
By contrast, the number 13 follows that perfect twelve and was often seen as something that disrupts harmony. That “thirteenth element” came to represent chaos, which explains why the number is still avoided in architecture, floor numbering, and the planning of important events.
Early Mentions in Literature and the Scandinavian Connection
Although people feared the date for centuries, the phrase appears in literature in the 19th century. In 1834, the French writer Marquis de Salvo told the story of a count who killed his daughter on Friday the 13th, arguing that the misfortune occurred precisely because of the date. That same year, the cursed day turned up in theater: in a play by de Rochefort-Lusé, the main character complains that being born on that day doomed his life to a string of misfortunes.
The roots of the superstition go even deeper, back to snowy Scandinavia. In Norse mythology, a well-known story tells of a banquet in Valhalla where twelve gods sat down together. Loki arrived uninvited as the thirteenth guest, and his presence led to chaos and the death of Baldur, the god of light. The world was plunged into mourning, and Baldur’s mother, the goddess Frigg, grieved eternally. It is from Frigg’s name that the English word Friday derives, and these legends have been passed down for centuries.
Modern Phobias and Everyday Superstitions
Today, that mix of biblical events, numerology, and myth has turned into a real phobia. Psychotherapist Donald Dossey coined the term Friggatriskaidekaphobia for the fear of Friday the 13th. The fear runs so deep that on that day people often worry about things that normally wouldn’t bother them.
On Friday the 13th, everyday superstitions—breaking a mirror, opening an umbrella indoors, walking under a ladder, or crossing paths with a black cat—feel especially ominous. Each of those beliefs has its own history, but the date brings them together and amplifies the sense that the day is cursed.
Editor’s Tip: While Friday the 13th is steeped in myths of Judas’ betrayal and Jacques de Molay’s curse, psychologists generally see it as a trick of the imagination. Don’t let irrational fears ruin your mood!
Photo: Unsplash
