The Number 13
From the most ancient times, the number thirteen was ill-fated, primarily because of the violent deaths of various ancient thirteenth gods, and of course the fate of the thirteenth guest at Jesus' Last Supper.
Why is it that in many buildings, the thirteenth floor does not exist, at least not on the elevator panel? Hotel-keepers rarely have a room in their house which is numbered thirteen. They know they will have difficulty in renting it, and the thirteenth room is therefore usually labelled 12a or 14.
The thirteenth of the month is an inauspicious day on which to embark upon any new enterprise, including marriage. Probably the unluckiest of all dates for a wedding is Friday, May 13. Few brides would choose it without some very strong reasons.
On the other hand, to be born on the thirteenth of the month is thought to be lucky. In that case, someone born on the thirteenth is expected to prosper in anything he or she begins on this day in later life.
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Friday the thirteenth is considered the unluckiest of days, unless you were born on Friday the thirteenth. If you were born on this day then Friday the thirteenth is your lucky day.
The origins of Friday superstitions are many. One of the best known is that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. Tradition also has it that the Flood in the Bible, the confusion at the Tower of Babel, and the death of Jesus Christ all took place on Friday.
Long before the Bible was written, Friday was considered an important day. Primitive people set aside Fridays as a special time to worship their deities and ask them for good crops, health and happiness. Those who worked on this day were told not to expect "good luck" from the gods.
The day Friday was named after Frigg (or Frigga), the Norse goddess of marriage. Later she was confused with the goddess of love, Freya, who in turn became identified with Friday. When the Norsemen and Germanic tribes became Christians, Freya was supposed to have been banished to the mountains as a witch. Friday came to be called "witches' Sabbath." For it was believed that on this day, each week, twelve witches and the Devil met - thirteen evil spirits up to no good! This is one of the reasons for today's superstition about Friday the 13th.
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You burned your toast this morning. Traffic was a mess coming to work. The boss is in a bad mood. Your new shirt is now sporting a fresh coffee stain.
Of course. It's Friday the 13th.
But wait a minute. These misfortunes happen all the time. It's usually only a couple of times a year we can blame our everyday woes on that dreaded day: Friday the 13th.
Is there really something to this much-maligned date? What has made this date so unsavory that it's even the subject of a hugely successful movie series?
It might help if we took a look at the elements - both Friday and the number 13 have some pretty colorful histories.
At first glance, Friday isn't so bad. Since it's the end of the work week for many, there's the ever-popular slogan "T.G.I.F.!" It also means payday for a lot of folks. Some say the word Friday comes from the Anglo-Saxon "Frigedaeg," which means Frigg's day. Frigg was a goddess of love in Norse mythology. For this reason, many Scandinavians consider Friday their luckiest day. Superstitious actors insist on signing contracts only on Friday because it reportedly brings good luck. And according to legend, novelist Charles Dickens habitually began the writing of all his books on a Friday, the day of his birth. (Remember that nursery rhyme: "Friday's child is loving and giving..."?)
Dr. Joe Nickell is a columnist for Skeptical Inquirer, The Magazine for Science and Reason. He says Friday does have its dark side. The Bible pinpoints Friday as the day Eve gave the apple to Adam. Execution day was Friday in Rome. And Good Friday exists because it is the reported day of the crucifixion of Jesus.
Read Nickell's full review of Friday the 13th in National Capital Area Skeptics.
Thirteen has a more jaded past. For example, Judas Iscariot was the "thirteenth" apostle. The ill-fated Apollo 13 space mission is a study in unlucky 13: it was launched at 13:13 hours, from pad 39 (the third multiple of 13) and was aborted on April 13, 1970. Reportedly, there is an organization in France that solely exists to provide a last-minute party guest, so there are never 13 people at a dinner table. Let's not forget that many hotels and skyscrapers are built without a thirteenth floor - why take chances?
But the number 13 also has a good side. The United States started out with 13 colonies. Wouldn't you rather be given a baker's dozen (13) in doughnuts? Age thirteen is the time for a bar mitzvah, if you're Jewish. Rugby is played with 13 members to a team. And, the Miami Dolphins' Dan Marino has proven the number 13 (on his jersey) works pretty well for him.
So, see, it's not all bad. You should consider yourself lucky. This year, you have one chance to blame those everyday woes - traffic, burned toast and the like - on bad luck. Friday the 13th rolls around in October so carry a few good luck charms if you want.
