Friday the 13th has long been known in many cultures to be a harbinger of bad luck.
The superstition has been around for centuries, with the date making appearances in many forms of popular culture such as books, movies and even video games.
Multiple unpleasant events have taken place on Friday the 13th over the years. This is possibly a tragic coincidence, however a faithful few swear that these events are caused by the bad luck associated with the day.
The ominous origins of Friday the 13th
The origin of the day bringing bad luck seem to stem from the story of The Last Supper, an event in Christian religion where the 12 disciples were seated at the table alongside Jesus.
The 13th person seated at the table happened to be Judas Iscariot, the man who ended up betraying Jesus, resulting in his crucifixion the very next day. Thus, the longstanding Christian superstition that 13 is a bad omen.
While the day itself – Friday – generally has fewer negative associations, suggestions indicate the association is also rooted in Christian tradition.
Jesus was crucified on a Friday and it is also alleged that Eve gave Adam the fruit from the tree of knowledge on a Friday as well.
Another possible origin for the ominous Friday the 13th is the execution of the Knights Templar – a powerful religious and military order formed in the 12th century to defend the Holy Land.
On Friday, 13 October 1307, officers of King Phillip IV of France arrested hundreds of Knights Templar, as it’s believed the king simply wanted access to their vast financial resources. The knights were imprisoned on various charges, with many executed.
A series of tragic events
Other tragedies that have occurred on this day over the past century include:
– The German bombing of Buckingham Palace (September 1940)
– A cyclone that killed a great number of people in Bangladesh (May 1970)
– The disappearance of a Chilean Air Force Plane in the Andes (October 1972)
– The death of famous rapper Tupac Shakur (September 1996)
The most famous popular culture reference associated with Friday the 13th is the slasher film of the same name. Friday the 13th tells the story of a supernatural mask-wearing killer by the name of Jason Voorhees.
The film was a cult hit which spawned many sequels, comic books, novellas and even video games that have all been met with relatively poor critical acclaim – but high box office numbers.
