The Last Supper seemed to put a curse on the number The 13th and most infamous guest to arrive, Judas Iscariot, was the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion. Like many superstitions that have evolved over time and across cultures, it is difficult to pinpoint the precise origins of Friday 13th.
What we do know, though, is that both Friday and the number 13 have been regarded as unlucky in certain cultures throughout history. In his book "Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things," Charles Panati traces the concept of the cursed back to Norse mythology, when Loki, the god of mischief, gate-crashed a banquet in Valhalla, bringing the number of gods in attendance to Deceived by Loki, the blind god Hodr was tricked into shooting his brother Balder, the god of light, joy and goodness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow, killing him instantly.
Friends or foes? Art's long, complicated relationship with religion. From Scandinavia, Panati explains, the superstition then spread south throughout Europe, becoming well established along the Mediterranean by the start of the Christian era. It was here that the unsettling power of the numerals was cemented through the story of the Last Supper, which was attended by Jesus Christ and his disciples on Maundy Thursday.
The 13th and most infamous guest to arrive, Judas Iscariot, was the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on Good Friday. Hundreds of the Knights Templar were arrested on October 13, , and many were later executed. Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" popularized the erroneous theory this is the original of the Friday the 13th superstition.
In Biblical tradition, the concept of unlucky Fridays, stretches back even further than the crucifixion: Friday is said to be the day that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge; the day Cain murdered his brother, Abel; the day the Temple of Solomon was toppled; and the day Noah's ark set sail in the Great Flood. It wasn't until the 19th century, however, that Friday 13th became synonymous with misfortune: As Steve Roud explains in "The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland," the combination of Friday and the number 13 is a Victorian invention.
The Catholic crusaders were apprehended, under pressure from Pope Clement V, over allegations made by an excommunicated former member that new recruits to the order were being forced to spit on the cross, deny Christ and engage in homosexual acts during initiation ceremonies.
The claims, seemingly entirely without foundation, were a convenient pretext for Philip to persecute the wealthy order and waive debts he owed them following war with England. Charged with moral and financial corruption and worshipping false idols, often following confessions obtained under torture, many of the knights were later burnt at the stake in Paris. Soon a calamity will occur to those who have condemned us to death. There is even a word for the fear of this date - paraskevidekatriaphobia.
But why is this particular date considered to be extremely unlucky? Take a look below. History: Both Friday and the number 13 have been considered unlucky in certain cultures since ancient times. In early Christianity, Jesus was crucified on a Friday. He was betrayed by Judas, who was the thirteenth guest at the Last Supper. It also seems as if unexplained fears surrounding the number 13 are a primarily Western construct.
Some cultures, including the Ancient Egyptians , actually considered the number lucky, while others have simply swapped numbers as the base of their phobias— 4 is avoided in much of Asia , for example. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, more than 80 percent of hi-rise buildings in the United States do not have a 13th floor, and the vast majority of hotels, hospitals and airports avoid using the number for rooms and gates as well.
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