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The Origin: Friday the 13th

Friday The 13th Jason mask

As we all know, Friday the 13th is feared by many since they think this day will bring them nothing but bad luck. This has been inspired by the Western culture who believes that this day is somewhat “cursed.” Although it is unclear where Friday the 13th truly originated from, here’s what we know about the “cursed day.”

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The scientific term for those who fear Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia or also known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. Yes, these terms are really hard to pronounce. But what do they mean? Both terms are actually just another word for Friday the 13th. The Frigg is Friggatriskaidekaphobia comes from the Norse Goddess whom Friday was named after while triskaideka simply means 13. On the other hand, paraskeví and dekatria basically just means Friday and 13, respectively, in Greek.

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Even though there is no clear reason as to why this day is believed to be cursed, one of the claims why some people consider this day as bad luck is because of Jesus and his 12 disciples in the Last Supper, wherein Judas betrayed Him. Also for the fact that Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

However, there has been no actual proof of where this superstition actually started. Some of the superstitions people follow during this day are: not walking under a ladder, avoiding breaking mirrors, watching where you comb your hair, and avoiding traveling.

Contrary to popular belief that 13 means bad luck, there are Chinese people who believe that the number 13 means the opposite. They believe that 13 means assured growth which is why they consider it one of the luckiest numbers. 

Some of you may wonder, if most Chinese don’t find the number 13 unlucky, why are there no 13th floors in Chinese-owned buildings? The main reason why is mainly because of superstitious tenants. They do this to avoid problems with those who believe that having the 13th floor in buildings is unlucky.

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Even though many fear Friday the 13th, there are people who actually “celebrate” this day. Some use this chance to go ghost hunting thinking that the spirits or supernatural beings are more active during this time. There are also those who use this opportunity to binge-watch some of the most horrifying slasher movies to celebrate the day. This can somehow be considered as a “mini Halloween” for others. 

Some facts about Friday the 13th!

  • If the month starts on a Sunday, there is a chance that there will be a Friday the 13th. 
  • It is impossible to have more than 3 Friday the 13ths in one year
  • There have been several films and books dedicated to this day
  • Heavy metal music was made on Friday the 13th

   

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