Friday the 13th, a day that many people dread, is upon us yet again. However, many people don’t actually know why Friday the 13th strikes fear into the hearts of so many (including some of the people that actually fear it.) Fortunately, if you’re one of the people who has always wondered why today has earned its reputation or where all of the other superstitions we all know and love (or loathe) come from, this five-part blog post series is here to help you learn exactly that.
1. Friday the 13th: Friday the 13th is considered to be the unluckiest day on the calendar, and many people believe every manner of horrible thing will happen when a Friday falls on the 13th.
Origin: Fridays and the number 13 have been considered to be unlucky since ancient times, but prior to the Middle Ages, Friday the 13th was largely considered to be just another day on the calendar. In fact, some believe that the reputation associated with the day was ultimately formed when King Philip of France ordered his men to arrest and torture the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307. The arrest and torture of a renowned group of holy knights certainly made Friday the 13th a day that would live in infamy. However, it really wasn’t until long after the middle ages, in the early 1800’s, that people began combining their fear of the number 13 (also known as triskaidekaphobia) with their fear of Fridays (which doesn’t have an official name, but if you really need one, it would probably be something like paraskeviphobia or friggaphobia).
These fears stem from a number of different beliefs that can be traced back to the dawn of Christianity, including the belief that there were 13 people present at Jesus Christ’s last supper, Jesus was crucified on a Friday (Good Friday), and Eve offered Adam the fruit from the forbidden tree on a Friday. Friday was also the day that people were typically executed in a number of countries throughout the ages (including ancient Rome), and legend has it that a rope needs to be twisted 13 times to make a hangman’s noose. These beliefs and traditions coupled with both old and modern tales like the Canterbury Tales and the Friday the 13th films have led to an ever-growing fear of Friday the 13th, which is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.
2. Black Cats: A black cat crossing your path is considered to be extremely bad luck, and some believe it may even be an indication that you’re not going to have the best of times in the afterlife (fire and brimstone anyone?)
Origin: The reputation of cats has had a roller coaster ride throughout the millennia, as the beliefs and superstitions surrounding these cute, furry, little predators has changed with each passing era. The ancient Egyptians believed that cats were divine creatures sent to protect the people from evil, and, to some extent, cats actually did. Rats were a huge problem for the ancient Egyptians, so little creatures that instinctively hunted and exterminated the rodent population were certainly appreciated and probably seemed like a gift from a higher power. However, the reputation of cats as god-like creatures took a turn for the worse when Christianity appeared on the scene and the early Christians began distancing themselves from other belief systems, including the beliefs of the Egyptians.
In fact, by the middles ages, the reputation of cats had been completely turned on its head, as they were believed to be demons in disguise, servants of witches, or actual witches who had taken on animal form. Black cats were especially feared because not only were they quiet and sneaky creatures, but they were also hard to see. This combined with the fact that wise, old women (who were often accused of witchcraft at the time) had a tendency even back then to feed stray cats made a black cat crossing your path seem like a sure sign that the devil or one of his servants was out to get you. It is important to remember, however, that black cats are really only seen as bad luck in certain cultures because some cultures, including the Japanese and the Scots, believe that a black cat may actually be a sign of good luck.
Dying to learn more about superstitions and their origins? Part II of 13 Superstitions and Their Origins will appear in a couple of weeks (after next week’s regularly scheduled post).
Photo credit: pedrosimoes7 / Foter.com / CC BY
Works Consulted
Harris, Tom. “How Friday the 13th Works.” HowStuffWorks.com. HowStuffWorks, a division of Infospace, LLC, 7 June 2003. Web. 12 Nov. 2015
Cohen, Jenny. “Friday the 13th: History of a Phobia.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 13 May 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
Noreen. “Why Black Cats Are Considered Bad Luck.” Today I Found Out. Today I Found Out, 10 Sep. Web. 12 Nov. 2015
“Paraskevidekatriaphobia.” Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Publishers Limited, 11 Nov. 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2015
Welsh, Chris. “A Black Cat Crossing Your Path.” TimelessMyths. TimelessMyths, 20 Oct. 2015. Web. 12 Nov. 2015
Wikipedia contributors. “Friday the 13th.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 Nov. 2015. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
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