Wednesday the 13th. Dun-dun-duuuuun.: seanan

Wednesday the 13th. Dun-dun-duuuuun.

I am not a Triskaidekaphobe; if anything, I'm more of a Triskaidekaphile. I love the number thirteen. I spent the entire year that I was thirteen wandering around feeling lucky (and even extended it into my fourteenth year by quite a bit, insisting that I needed to get thirteen months, weeks, days, and hours of being thirteen). I've always considered Friday the 13th to be "my lucky day," and I love years like 2009, where the stars align just right and we get three Friday the 13ths in a single calendar year. (This year, 2010, the stars have not aligned just right, and we're only getting one, in August. I hope to spend it in Australia, where I will use its potent payload of sheer good luck to not die horribly.)

But why is Friday the 13th unlucky? One could argue that it has become unlucky because so many people believe it is, and there's value in that position, but what started it? Here's the fun part: no one really seems to know for sure. It's a combination of unlucky thirteen and unlucky Friday, and it just bumbles around being baleful at all the other days on the calendar.

So why is thirteen unlucky? Some people claim that Judas was the thirteenth person to join the table during the Last Supper (which doesn't explain why "thirty" isn't unlucky, too, that being the number of pieces of silver he's supposed to have received). Others think it came from the Norse, where alternately, Loki was regarded as the thirteenth god of the pantheon, or just the thirteenth person to show up at Baldr's funeral, having also arranged Baldr's death. (So you know, if you arrange my death, you're not invited to my funeral.) There's an old superstition that says that when thirteen people gather, one of them will be dead within the year, which is statistically viable in certain cases, and not so much in others.

There are also a lot of cultures that hold thirteen to be lucky, one way or another. The Torah describes the thirteen attributes of mercy, and boys become men on their thirteenth birthdays. Italy considers thirteen to be a lucky number, as does Colgate University. Thirteen is when kids can see PG-13 movies unaccompanied, and believe me, that is incredibly lucky when it happens. Also, thirteen is a prime number, which always leaves me well-disposed.

So maybe it's all Friday's baggage. Sure, we tend to regard Friday as lucky in the modern era—it's the last day of the work or school week, it's the day when all the new movies open, and it's the day when bedtime is suspended—but for a long time, Friday was viewed as unlucky. Maritime folklore holds that it's a bad idea to start a long voyage on a Friday. Jesus may or may not have been crucified on a Friday, and "Black Friday" either means "day of horrible disaster" or "the day after Thanksgiving, when we create horrible disasters in the mall parking lot." Who knows?

The theories on why we've decided Friday the 13th is singularly unlucky range from the ancient (Frigga is pissed off about Christianity) to the political (the early Christians made thirteen unlucky because the pagans considered it lucky) to the osmosis of popular culture (Thomas W. Lawson's 1907 novel, Friday, the Thirteenth). Regardless of why it happened, it's unlikely to unhappen any time soon, especially not if Jason and his machete have anything to say about it.

Happy Wednesday the thirteenth! Try not to walk under any ladders.

shaharazad

January 13 2010, 15:46:49 UTC 7 years ago

New comment

In many Catholic cultures (including Italian), 13 is considered lucky because Jesus counts as #13, rather than Judas.

seanan_mcguire

January 13 2010, 15:48:02 UTC 7 years ago

See, there's more evidence for thirteen as awesomely lucky. (Unless that whole "dying after dinner" thing reverses the polarity of the lucktron stream.)

January 13 2010, 15:48:54 UTC 7 years ago

Oh, and "Black Friday" is black because it's traditionally the day when retailers go "into the black", as in become profitable for the year.

scifantasy

January 13 2010, 15:52:53 UTC 7 years ago

I'm not sure about that. The 1929 Wall Street crash started on October 29, 1929--"Black Tuesday." I can't swear that was the first use of the "Black (day)" construction, but I bet it was the first modern use.

7 years ago

hasufin

January 13 2010, 15:49:07 UTC 7 years ago

It's worth noting that in the Muslim calendar Friday, يوم الجمعة, is the holy day.

January 13 2010, 17:29:04 UTC 7 years ago

Neat!

technoshaman

January 13 2010, 15:56:58 UTC 7 years ago

I can't remember not liking Friday the Thirteenth myself... *snorks* maybe it's because Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe is ruled by King Friday the Thirteenth? :) But I've always had good (or at least not memorably bad) days then... and of course there's Vixy's "Thirteen" and Tony's cover of "'39", which is three thirteens....

Triskaidekaphiles FTW!

keristor

January 13 2010, 16:03:27 UTC 7 years ago

My mother was born on Friday the 13th, and has always regarded it as lucky. I dn't mind either way, I don't see either the 13th or Friday as being particularly lucky or unlucky.

But I've heard that Friday the 13th is the most common day/number combination, averaged over the whole calendar. I haven't done the calculation to prove it...

(I don't walk under ladders, in general, some superstitions are based in fact. Like people with paint cans on the ladder...)

January 13 2010, 17:29:34 UTC 7 years ago

Well, yes. A head of paint will convince anyone not to walk under ladders, because most of us are slightly less idiotic than that.

cleothyla

January 13 2010, 16:12:16 UTC 7 years ago

I have always considered Friday the 13 lucky. My hubby was born on Friday the 13th as well, which makes me doubly lucky as he is the sweetest guy in the world(IMO). And my mother considered Friday the 13th lucky as well.

January 13 2010, 17:29:47 UTC 7 years ago

Nice!

pahosler

January 13 2010, 16:26:17 UTC 7 years ago

I've always been fond of Friday the 13th, and the number thirteen as well. It doesn't hurt that my first child was born on a Friday the 13th, and exactly one month later there was a second Friday the 13th, and better still both days sported a full moon.

Most buildings don't have a 13th floor. What's up with that? If you just skip over 13 isn't 14 still technically the 13th floor? If you have a 13th floor but just skip it, isn't that sort a waste of materials and space. Keep the 13th floor and rent the space out to people like us that would be more than a little giddy about getting to work or live around such a fun number.

Superstitions are a little weird to me anyway. I love black cats, step on sidewalk cracks, don't think rabbits feet will make me lucky, or that wearing a certain shirt will make me a better bowler. On the other hand, for some reason I will not pick up a penny that is face down, the face up pennies are mine, so leave them alone! Occasionally I will kick a heads down penny to make it land heads up, but I still won't pick it up, I leave it for the next treasure hunter.

Happy Wed. 13th

dulcinbradbury

January 13 2010, 17:29:30 UTC 7 years ago

13th floor is a combination of routine superstition & practicality -- the 13th floor is often maintenance space.

grey_lady

January 13 2010, 16:35:57 UTC 7 years ago

I've never had a problem with Friday the 13th - it has been neither particularly lucky nor particularly unlucky for me.

On the other hand, I've had some real problems on multiple occasions with Thursday the 12th.... Guess I'm just strange.

January 18 2010, 01:13:43 UTC 7 years ago

Hee. You get the precursor bad luck! That's sadly sort of awesome.

vixyish

January 13 2010, 16:54:53 UTC 7 years ago

I've always thought Friday the 13th was a lucky day for me too!

January 18 2010, 01:14:14 UTC 7 years ago

That's 'cause you're my smart Vix. (I had a stupid Vix. We don't like to talk about her. Such a senseless tragedy.)

beccastareyes

January 13 2010, 17:29:10 UTC 7 years ago

In Spanish-speaking countries, at least according to my half-remembered classes and a Chilean officemate the first year of grad school, Tuesday the 13th was supposed to be the unlucky day, because martes comes from Mars. (No clue why 13.)

I lived on the 13th floor in my dorm for two years in college -- the building actually had that floor numbered correctly, rather than skipping to 14 (maybe because it was the top floor). The only time it was unlucky was the time when the power went out and I realized I had left my notebook for my afternoon class in my room, while I was eating lunch on the ground floor. (Yes, I did walk up 13 flights of stairs.) I liked it -- no upstairs neighbors and I had a great view.

January 18 2010, 01:14:50 UTC 7 years ago

Huh. Go team evil Tuesday!

naurwen

January 13 2010, 18:08:41 UTC 7 years ago

I've always liked the number 3 in general, thus also 13 and never did mind Friday 13th... and I also adore black cats. LOL
What else... there are 13 moon cycles, every one of them having a special meaning... oh yeah, and there's a number 13 tram in the city I live in that gets me to a very much hidden wonderful little shop in town with unusual clothes and jewellery. :)

Wasn't the message to prosecute (and kill) the Templars sent out
with the instruction it must be opened (everywhere) on the 13th, which happened to be a Friday? I think I heard / read about this sometime.

It would be interesting to know when number-related superstitions really got started and what got them going.

January 18 2010, 01:18:41 UTC 7 years ago

I've heard that, but I've never heard that it was proven. So it's an interesting question, really.

ravenclawed

January 13 2010, 18:37:41 UTC 7 years ago

Being a Labyrinth fan, I love the number 13. (I'm wearing a peachy BPAL today to celebrate.) And these days, I love Friday the 13th because it means there'll be a new 13 BPAL out. My unluckiest day seems to be Tuesdays, but thankfully not every Tuesday.

January 18 2010, 01:20:15 UTC 7 years ago

Labyrinth: still one of the best movies ever made.

dornbeast

January 13 2010, 18:37:54 UTC 7 years ago

I've come to the conclusion that it's bad luck to be excessively superstitious.

However, thirteen has never been a bad thing for me, except when playing Nethack, where Friday the thirteenth is unlucky as part of the program.

January 18 2010, 01:20:33 UTC 7 years ago

Really?

Dude, Nethack rules.

slothman

January 13 2010, 18:38:15 UTC 7 years ago

(So you know, if you arrange my death, you're not invited to my funeral.)

Even if we also arrange that you’ll rise from the grave to start the Zombie Apocalypse?

January 18 2010, 01:23:17 UTC 7 years ago

In that case, I probably won't have a funeral. Just a rising.

kathleenfoucart

January 13 2010, 19:33:59 UTC 7 years ago

I love this post!!!!!

Mainly cause today is my birthday, so I can pretend this post is just for me. ;-)

January 18 2010, 01:30:47 UTC 7 years ago

HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY!

moshez

January 13 2010, 19:55:18 UTC 7 years ago

The first reference you gave to the importance of 13 in Judaism is the "attributes of mercy", which doesn't ring a bell with me.

Other than the age of bar-mitzvah, the canonical 13s in Judaism is the thirteen rules of interpretation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudical_Hermeneutics#Detailed_rules) -- that's the one in the passover equivalent to the "12 Days of Christmas" counting songs, "Shlosha Asar Middaya", and the other is the principles of faith (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_principles_of_faith#Maimonides.27_13_principles_of_faith) which is recited in the prayer.

The first I learned of 13 being an unlucky number in other cultures was when I read Hasamba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasamba) -- don't remember which story, but it had two characters talking how "abroad" (outside Israel), hotels do not have a thirteenth floor because it's considered unlucky...

January 19 2010, 01:16:34 UTC 7 years ago

I've heard the "attributes of mercy" from a few people, so it may be a regional thing?

clovisthecomely

January 13 2010, 20:55:24 UTC 7 years ago

I'd always heard Friday the 13th was the day the Templars got it in the neck. So there's another one to add to your list of possibles. ;o)

jongibbs

January 13 2010, 21:08:41 UTC 7 years ago

Me too :)

mneme

January 13 2010, 21:56:32 UTC 7 years ago

My only Friday custom is not to release code on Friday -- because that's how you end up working all weekend.

But I'm down with 13 -- after all, that's when Jewish boys reach the age of majority!

January 14 2010, 09:36:41 UTC 7 years ago

Or you get in on Monday to a full inbox with all the complaints! (And if you're really unlucky mail telling you that your inbox is too full and IT are closing your account.)

Even worse is when it's a holiday weekend...

ladyfox7oaks

January 13 2010, 22:04:10 UTC 7 years ago

I once heard that Friday the 13th got its bad connotations from the Knights Templar, as that was the day that King Phillip moved against them and arrested and imprisoned as many of them as he could catch. (The entire Templar Navy vanished in the night, having gotten wind of the King's plot. Some say they sailed West.)

January 19 2010, 01:17:16 UTC 7 years ago

Huh.

deire

January 14 2010, 00:51:28 UTC 7 years ago

Last Friday the thirteenth, I performed at the Black Cat Hafla. Hee!

January 19 2010, 01:17:29 UTC 7 years ago

Rock on team you!

gorgeousgary

January 14 2010, 01:43:46 UTC 7 years ago

I have a very odd relationship with Friday the 13th. The Friday itself is typically a fairly normal day. In fact, it usually goes quite smoothly. Sometimes it's even a particularly good day.

However, the week immediately preceding the Friday in question, and the week immediately following it, will typically be marked by an unusually high volume of minor annoyances. And occasionally will include visits by small flocks of mallards.