August 13, 2021 falls on a Friday, which means we will once again be visited by Friday the 13th! Many associate the day with bad luck and superstitions. We’ve compiled a few facts about Friday the 13th.
Just like the fear of the number 13, triskaidekaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th has a scientific name.Paraskevidekatriaphobia.
Fear of the day is likely rooted in Christianity. Jesus was crucified on a Friday. 13 guests attended the Last Supper, the night before Jesus was killed. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest.
If a year starts on a Thursday, the months of February, March and November will see 13th as a Friday. Following the same Thursday rule for leap year, the months of January, April and July will have 13th as a Friday. Also, a year can’t see Friday the 13th more than three times.
For a month to have a Friday on the 13th day, it must begin on a Sunday.
Dubbed hangman’s day, many public executions also occurred on Fridays during the Middle Ages. And criminals would have to walk 13 steps up the gallows before meeting their fate.
On October 13, 1307, which was a Friday, King Philip IV of France ordered his officers to raid the homes of the Knights Templar, a Catholic military order which grew to power during the Crusades. Hundreds of the Knights Templar were subjected to excruciating torture to force confessions out of them. More than a hundred succumbed to death in the process.
Oklahoma bandit Crawford “Cherokee Bill” Goldsby murdered 13 victims, and was captured with a reward of $1300. During his trial, 13 eyewitnesses testified against him and the jury took 13 hours to come up with a guilty verdict. He was hanged on April 13,1896 on a gallows with 13 steps.
During World War II, five German bombs hit Buckingham Palace on Friday, Sept. 13, 1940, and destroyed the Palace Chapel. The Royal Family was unharmed.
Apollo 13 is the only unsuccessful moon mission. It malfunctioned in space, imperilled it’s crew, and never visited the moon after being launched at 13 minutes past 1 PM, or 13:13.
On Friday, Oct. 13, 1989, the U.S. stock exchange suffered a major crash. The day is sometimes referred to as “Black Friday.”
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On Friday the 13th, 2029, a large asteroid will fly so close to the Earth you won’t need a telescope, according to NASA.
Mark Twain was allegedly once invited to be the 13th guest at a dinner party. As the story goes, he went to the dinner despite a superstitious friend’s warning. Twain reportedly said, “It was bad luck. They only had food for 12.”
Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt reportedly had a great fear of Friday the 13th. He avoided starting a trip on a Friday, wasn’t keen on traveling on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 people at the dinner table.
Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense was born on August 13, 1899 – so Friday, August 13, 1999 would have been his 100th birthday. He made his directorial debut in 1922 with a movie called Number 13. Unfortunately, the film was doomed from the start and never got off the ground due to financial troubles.
Taylor Swift’s lucky number is 13 because she was born on December 13th, 1989. She turned 13 on Friday the 13th. Her first album went gold in 13 weeks and her first #1 song had a 13-second intro.
The Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel offers special zombie, vampire and “Rocky Horror”-themed ceremonies on Friday the 13th.
Studies say more than 80 percent of high-rise buildings in the U.S. don’t have a 13th floor, and many hotels, hospitals and airports avoid using the number for rooms and gates.
Friday the 13th is not universally seen as a day of misery. For example, in Italy, Friday the 17th and not Friday the 13th is considered to be a day that brings bad luck. In fact, the number 13 is thought to be a lucky number!
In some Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday (Martes) the 13th is considered bad luck. Tuesday is feared because it is the day of the week associated with the Roman god of war, Mars. There is a cautionary saying: “On Tuesdays, don’t get married, don’t take a trip and don’t leave your home.”
Every year, since 1995, Finland has dedicated one Friday the 13th as a National Accident Day. The day is aimed at raising safety awareness.
It is estimated that every Friday the 13th costs the U.S. economy approximately $800-900 million in losses, according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, U.S., as many people refuse to do business or travel by air on the day.