13 facts about Friday the 13th

Ruhee Marfathia, Viewpoint's Editor
January 11, 2017

  1. The fear of Friday the 13th is fairly common. According to a study by the North Carolina Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, in the United States, about 17 to 21 million people have a fear of Friday the 13th. The scientific name for the fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia.
  2. The number 13 is cursed in history. The number 12 is considered the number of completeness, and the number 13 is considered an outsider. There are 12 months of the year, 12 Gods of Olympus, 12 hours of the clock, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 Apostles of Jesus.
  3. A Christian theory. According to the Christian faith and tradition, many people considered Friday as unlucky because Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and 13 people were present for his last dinner, including himself.
  4. Some religions consider it lucky. For Pagans, 13 is actually considered a lucky number because it corresponds with the number of full moons that take place in a year.
  5. Alfred Hitchcock Was Born on Friday the 13th. The director referred to as “the Master of Suspense” was born on August 13, 1899, and his first movie would have been called Number 13.
  6. It’s not unlucky around the world. In Italy, Friday the 17th is considered the day of bad luck, and in many Spanish speaking countries, as well as Greece, Tuesday the 13th is a feared day.
  7. It can come in threes. Those who fear Friday the 13th will be hiding away a minimum of once per year and up to three times a year. For a month to have a Friday the 13th, the month must start on a Sunday.
  8. There is a huge and growing fear market. Friday the 13th has paved its way to 12 horror movies, a television series, and several books that revolve around the curses and superstitions based on the feared day.
  9. Egyptian belief changed from luck to fear. The ancient Egyptians originally believed that the number 13 was lucky because the 13th stage of life was related to the afterlife. After the Egyptian civilization was diminished, the number 13 was connected to death and fear.
  10. Friday’s fear reaches to outer space. According to NASA, on Friday April 13, 2029, a large asteroid will fly close enough to the Earth to be visible without a telescope in Africa, Europe, and Asia.
  11. Taylor Swift considers the number 13 lucky. On an interview with MTV, she said, “I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first #1 song had a 13-second intro… Basically whenever a 13 comes up in my life, it’s a good thing.”
  12. There is a presidential fear of the 13th. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is said to have avoided travel on the 13th day of any month, and would never host 13 guests at a meal.
  13. The fear causes loss of money around the world. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, N.C., up to $900 million are lost due to people’s fear of flying or doing the usual business that day.