Horror Hub: The History of Friday the 13th

Hey y'all let's see what's up today! Today is Friday the 13th, and as such I wanted to use today's horror hub post to kind of explore the history of it. This is going to kind of be a learning moment for the both of us because despite my love of horror, folklore, and things of thst nature I've never researched anything about this so I'm excited!

The History

The Friday the 13th's tract record of being filled with bad luck actually started within Christianity. The number 13 was considered unlucky because of the disciples Judas's presence at the Last Supper, making him the 13th in attendance and the one that, in the end, would turn Jesus over to authorities leading to his crucifixion. Additionally, many unfortunate and downright tragic events of the Bible were believed to have occurred more on Fridays than any other day of the week.


The combination of these two beliefs led to the belief that Friday the 13th was the unluckiest day. However there is also a record of an event in Norse Mythology in which 13 guests were invited to a banquet that subsequently ended in violence and chaos, adding more folkloric fuel to the fire.


In reality, it can most likely be traced back to the arrest of the Knight's Templar in 1307.  The arrests supposedly happened on Friday October 13th, 1307 in which Phillip IV of France held dawn raids to arrest all members of the Knights Templar in his kingdom. The arrests were conducted on accounts of heresy and blasphemy including charges such as illegally granting absolution and spitting on the cross. These arrests would continue up until 1308 across Europe, but most notably throughout France, England, and  Ireland.


Beyond that, in the 18th and 19th century there are numerous reports, plays, and novels that make statements condemning the potentially unlucky day. However, it was occasionally used to push certain harmful agendas by appealing to the Christian beliefs and putting down other belief systems and this has been recorded in publications as old as 1907.



In the Modern Day

Coming forward a little bit, Friday the 13ths do seem to be living up to their reputation. Buckingham Palace was bombed on September 13th, 1940 by the Germans. There were several plane crashes and disappearances documented as occurring on Friday the 13th. Tupac as well as Kitty Genovese were both murdered on a Friday the 13th, about 32 years apart. In 2029 there is an asteroid expected to come extremely close to Earth on a Friday the 13th. This isn't even scraping the top of the iceberg here, there are entire lists dedicated to just the bad things that have occurred on this day. 


Superstition Takes Hollywood

Naturally, the horror community as well as several tattoo parlors consider Friday the 13th a time to celebrate. For those that love all things dark, spooky, and a little bit twisted the day is generally centered around Jason Voorhees, the slasher icon from the Friday the 13th franchise. 

Jason Voorhees was actually born on June 13th, 1946 which was actually on a Thursday despite the film's namesake. That means this iconic slasher will be turning 80 this year and his birthday has fallen on a Friday the 13 only 12 times to date. One of these occurrences is June 13th, 1980, which is when the events of the first and semi-retconned Friday the 13th film takes place.


Fun Facts

🔪Friday the 13th is so unlucky that there is even a phobia dedicated to it known as friggatriskaidekaphobia. 

🔪 While there is at lease one Friday the 13th per calendar year, there can be up to 14 months between each occurance!

🔪 Several hospitals don't have a room 13, given the number's association with bad luck. Airports do the same thing, with several lacking a Gater 13.

🔪 Hospitals report a 52% increase in traffic on Friday the 13

🔪 Former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt refused to travel on the 13th day of the month


Closing

That's all I have for you guys right now, if you'd like to add some more Friday the 13th fun facts feel free to do so in the comments! If you want to see more from me feel free to click the link below where you can find my other socials. Y'all take care, and thanks for stopping by! 

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