Friday the 13th why is that? Why is Friday the thirteenth considered a bad day? Actions of superstitious people

Hello to all fans interesting facts. Today we will tell you why Friday the 13th is considered a bad day. The population of the whole world is very wary of this black date and is already deliberately waiting for something to happen to them. What date is this? Why are so many people afraid of her? There are quite a lot of legends of appearance. Let's figure it out together.

From Paganism to Christianity

You may be surprised, but there are simply a great many explanations for this unlucky date. And in different countries they are interpreted completely differently. But we can say one thing - all this came from paganism, which then gradually came to Christianity. And here are the versions:

• According to one legend, on this day 12 witches held their coven, and the thirteenth was Satan himself.
• According to another version, on this day Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
• There is also a version that it was on Friday the 13th that Cain killed his brother Abel, making him the first fratricide.

Norse mythology has its own explanation for why Friday the 13th is a bad day. During the time of God Odin, 12 apostles lived with him. When the thirteenth apostle appeared, real enmity began between all the inhabitants. In this enmity, the God Balder, revered by many, died.

It is also believed that Jesus was crucified on Friday, which is why this day is considered bad and unlucky.

Cultural point of view

Culturologists believe that no misfortunes are associated with a specific date, since after rummaging through the literature, no one found any mention of this particular date. But it was often mentioned that individually the number 13 always personified misfortune, just as everyone associated the day of the week Friday with troubles.

Cultural experts consider the first mention of the coincidence of the date and day of the week to be the biography of the famous composer Rossini, dated in 1869. The composer died on November 13, 1868, which just happened to fall on the fifth day of the week. And in this very biography there was the following passage:

Rossini, like many Italians, believed. that Friday is a day of bad luck, and 13 is the number of bad luck. And it had to happen that his death occurred precisely at the confluence of this day and date. (translation is approximate, but the essence is the same).

Legend of the Templars

Yes, there is such a story. On October 13, 1307, King Philip IV ordered the arrest of all members of the Templar Order, including the supreme leadership. The Templars were accused of blasphemy. The order was dissolved, and its members were tortured and executed. Also, 7 years later, the Grand Master of the Order, Jacques de Molay, was burned in Paris. While Jacques was burning, he cursed the King who was overseeing the execution, as well as the entire royal dynasty.

But no matter how interesting all this is written, this version is ignored by almost everyone.

Sailors' legend

The most interesting thing is that the ship was also completed on Friday. This event completely strengthened the superstitions of sailors regarding this date.

Actions of superstitious people

The most interesting thing is that among famous people there were a lot of superstitious individuals who tried by hook or by crook to miss this number.

• Napoleon Bonaparte canceled battles if they fell on Friday the 13th.
• Bismarck under no circumstances signed the documents on this ill-fated day
• Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States, also refused to sign any documents or generally make even minor decisions.
• Mark Zuckerberg made it so that no one could register on Facebook with number 13 (after 12 comes 14). Pavel Durov did exactly the same for his analogue of Facebook, that is, VK. You will not find a user by ID 13 and 666. Whether this is due to superstition, or whether he simply took the entire idea from his inspiration is unknown.
• By the way, in many European and American houses there is no 13th floor. After 12, 14 comes immediately, or the letter M is written instead, since it is the thirteenth in the Latin alphabet.

Friday the 13th - Lucky number?

If we consider 13 a cursed number, then in many nations it is, on the contrary, a lucky number.

Jews especially laugh at us and still cannot understand why Friday the 13th is a bad day. This day is real happiness for them, like the number itself:

• On this day the great Messiah descended from heaven.
• Kabbalah has 13 sources
• The State itself is divided into exactly the same number of parts.
• I'm not even talking about the thirteen gates.

The Mayan Indians also revered this day and considered it sacred. More precisely, not the day, but the number itself, but it was the number that was considered a symbol of the favor of the gods.

Friday the 13th and modern times

Despite all the superstitions, this date has worked well in commerce. Thus we can see entire series of books, films and computer games dedicated to this topic. The very first film dedicated to this date is called (no matter how strange it may sound) “Friday the 13th” and tells about the masked killer Jason Voorhees. The first part was filmed back in 1980 and spawned many with Freddy Krueger.

Psychology

Let us not hide the fact that many people suffer on this day. But this is not at all due to the magic of this number. The thing is that people program themselves to believe that Friday the 13th is a bad day, which means they should expect trouble.

Our subconscious perceives this as a program that needs to be completed, so you yourself begin to look for trouble on your bottom. And what is most surprising is that people find these troubles.

But you can also be convinced that August 7 is a day of trouble and if you think so, then most likely some kind of trouble may happen. It could even be something minor, like dropping your phone and breaking glass, or simply tripping. But rest assured, you programmed yourself.

Of course, you can dwell on the topic of working with the subconscious for a long time and one article will not be enough for this. But one thing is for sure - don’t program yourself for the bad. Friday the 13th is a very ordinary day, and there is no need to be afraid of it.

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For many years, people have been trying to figure out whether Friday the 13th is really a dangerous day, or is it just a superstition. To avoid danger and unpleasant consequences, it is necessary to find out why people attach such mystical significance to this seemingly ordinary day.

Although the times of paganism have already passed, people still continue to attach importance to some signs and superstitions. That is why the question of whether we should be afraid of Friday the 13th still has no answer. The approach of this mystical day makes us think about what we need to be careful of on this day. However, many people do not even realize why, even in the modern world, humanity continues to attach special significance to Friday the 13th.

Why is Friday the 13th considered an unlucky day?

When talking about the mystical meaning of Friday the 13th, one should rely not only on signs and superstitions, but also on historical facts. As it turned out, there are several reasons confirming that Friday the 13th is truly an unfavorable day.

Reason 1. In religious culture, the number 13 is unlucky. According to the Holy Scriptures, during the Last Supper, Judas, who sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver, was the thirteenth person at the table. In addition, John in his Gospel talks about the act of the traitor precisely in chapter 13. Perhaps this is just a coincidence, but in the Christian world this number still carries only negative associations.

Reason 2. Many factors influenced the negative attitude towards this day, including legends. According to one of them, when witches organized a witchcraft Sabbath, Satan, who to this day is the personification of evil and death, became its main participant. Most often, 12 witches took part in the meeting, and Satan himself became the 13th.

Reason 3. Since ancient times, 13 has been considered the number of the Devil. To avoid danger, on this day people tried not to do important things and not spend a lot of time outside, and many preferred to stay at home. According to one of the signs, if a person has 13 letters in his first and last name, it means that he is under the protection of evil.

Reason 4. Even numerologists have not ignored the number 13. According to numerology, the number 12 is a symbol of perfection. It is believed that by adding one number to it, you can bring bad luck.

Reason 5. Research has shown that many major accidents occurred on Friday the 13th. These include the crash of the Costa Concordia liner, which resulted in the death of 32 people, as well as the disaster involving the Il-62 liner, which crashed near Moscow, resulting in the death of 174 people. . These are not the only misfortunes that occurred on Friday the 13th, which is why on this day many airlines reduce ticket prices to any part of the world.

Reason 6. It is not surprising that even in the modern world people continue to attach special importance to Friday the 13th, even if psychologists note that this day is truly unlucky. It is believed that at this time people are much more likely to experience a deterioration in their mental state. The main symptoms include panic attacks, depression and even suicidal tendencies. There is an opinion that such phenomena arise simply because of the fear of being in dangerous situation, because for many years superstitions have indicated that it is on this day that a person can encounter any troubles.

Reason 7. Despite the fact that science denies the existence of superstitions, scientists have repeatedly tried to figure out why this number is considered unlucky. Studies have shown that on this day the number of accidents increases, and people are unlucky much more often. However, it was not possible to prove why this happens.

Reason 8. On Friday the 13th, superstitious people try to postpone travel and business trips; many return tickets and reschedule trips to another day. In the UK, the number of road accidents increases at this time. In this regard, residents try to move exclusively on foot, neglecting even public transport.

Reason 9. In 1989, a virus friday 13, which hit many computers, brought huge attention to this day. This incident occurred in England on January 13. At that time, few people knew about the existence of computer viruses, which is why the huge coverage caused real panic among users. Since then, the antivirus industry has begun to develop much more actively, and research to this day proves that on this day the attack of viruses increases several times.

Reason 10. The experience of our ancestors shows that it is on Friday that 13 people risk finding themselves in a situation that could lead to negative and even mourning consequences. For example, standing under the stairs on Friday the 13th means poverty. If you witness a funeral on this day, expect another death.

How to avoid trouble

Considering that any troubles can happen to a person on this day, you should learn how to protect yourself and avoid danger.

Also on Friday the 13th you should not conduct financial transactions, make large purchases, borrow or lend money. This could expose you to large financial losses.

Even if you had to become a participant in the conflict, try to correct the situation as soon as possible. At this time, “energy vampires” are especially active, and after communicating with them you will experience not only a depressed mood, but also a deterioration in your condition.

Experience shows that it is on this day that large number computer viruses. Therefore, you should be careful not to open suspicious sites and links, or better yet, stop using the computer altogether.

A wedding on Friday the 13th is not only a bad omen, but also a huge risk. It is believed that marriages concluded on this day will not be happy and will end very quickly, and the event itself can be disrupted at any moment.

It has been proven that the number of car accidents increases on this day. In this regard, drivers are advised to exercise caution while driving and choose only proven routes for travel. Pedestrians should also be careful to avoid becoming the victim of a careless driver.

On Friday the 13th, it is advisable to avoid any medical procedures and not visit doctors at all. The consequences may not only be disappointing, but also dangerous for you.

If possible, it is best to stay at home on this day. If you are forced to leave the apartment, try to be more attentive and pay attention to any suspicious things and changes. On this day, accidents may not be accidental at all.

On Friday the 13th, every person may face a number of problems, but it is quite possible to avoid them. Take advantage of effective conspiracies with which you can protect yourself. Be careful and don't forget to press the buttons and

Good afternoon, dear readers!

Do you think there are such days in the calendar when you need to be on alert and beware of all kinds of troubles? I’m a superstitious person in my mood, well, that is, when I’m not in the mood I can scold a black cat =)

This week we have a super unlucky and scary day for especially superstitious people - Friday the 13th. So scary that a whole phobia was dedicated to him - paraskavedekatriaphobia (20 million residents of the United States alone suffer from this disease). But where does this fame come from? Is it deserved? Let's see why Friday the 13th is considered a bad day.

Friday the 13th: what day is it?

So, Friday the thirteenth is such an unloved day for many people that people even dubbed it “Devil's Friday.” Strong, right? And it’s not a joke: many people are really very nervous about the approach of this day, they feel some kind of mental heaviness, and some even turn off the phone and lock themselves at home. But why, what is this connected with?

Legend of the Templars

There is a popular explanation for why Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day - it is due to a curse. The history goes back to 1307 and the Knights Templar.

So, the Templars (Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon) are an ancient knightly order founded in 1119. In the 12th and 13th centuries, these guys were engaged in usury and were very rich, which could not but arouse the envy of others.

One of these people was the French monarch Philip IV, who decided to improve his financial situation at the expense of the order. To achieve his goal, he ordered the arrest and execution of the knights. The order was carried out, and the date of execution was set for October 13, 1307. It was Friday.

As the legend says, the date was not chosen by chance; more on that below. According to legend, the master of the order cursed those gathered at the execution.

But in fact, all the passions around Friday the 13th began to unfold not so long ago. The first mentions of this day date back to the 19th century. And Friday the 13th gained worldwide and super-bad fame thanks to Thomas Lawson and his novel of the same name. Well, thanks to the films and Jason, of course.

However, the idea bad day not taken out of thin air. Friday the Thirteenth is a kind of mixture of two not so good things:

1. Fridays;
2. And the number 13.

Friday is an unlucky day, why?

Friday, any Friday, has been considered a special day since ancient times, which is why Philip chose it to execute the Templars. For example, if we consider Christianity, then it is worth paying attention to several things:

On this day Christ was crucified.

Friday was considered a day of fasting. That is, on Fridays it was forbidden to eat meat products, and also to abstain from many other things, for example: spinning, sewing, washing, plowing, etc., etc. Violating a taboo is a sinful act, and sins, as we know, are punished.

Number 13

But in general, there are many beliefs associated with the Devil’s Dozen:

Homer and Cicero considered the 13th not a good number;

In Kabbalah there were 13 spirits of evil;

At the Last Supper, the 13th table holder was Judas;

In addition, Judas the 13th was mentioned in the Holy Scriptures (for those who have forgotten: Judas is one of the apostles of Christ, who “sold” him for 30 pieces of silver);

And again Judas, it is in the 13th chapter that John in his Gospel tells us about his betrayal;

Also, Revelation in the 13th chapter tells us about the Antichrist.

And then other, no less unpleasant stories wrapped around all this. For example, it is believed that 12 witches gather for their covens, and on the 13th Satan himself visits these “parties.”

Interesting fact: the 13th most often falls on a Friday.

Do you see? By themselves, two factors such as Friday and the number 13 had a bad reputation. And then (in the 19th century) they merged into one - a super scary and damn powerful day, Friday the Thirteenth. Now do you understand why Friday the 13th is considered a bad day?

Legends of Friday

But that's not all, there are other stories associated with Devil's Friday:

1. Eve gave Adam an apple to taste on Friday, and precisely on the 13th. I don’t think it’s worth reminding me what happened next?
2. They say Cain killed his brother Abel, again on a Friday. The number is the same.
3. Ancient kings lost their crown. And sometimes life is on Friday the 13th. This fate befell Harold II (c. 1020-1066) in England.
4. This day is considered a “witch’s day” and luck on Friday, the 13th, favors only witches and sorcerers.
5. Bonaparte himself was wary of Friday the 13th and did not carry out any military operations on that day.
6. You will be surprised, but Goethe(!) that day, just in case, did not get out of bed =)
7. Also, terrible disasters happen on this day. The most striking of them is the crash of the FH-227 plane in the Andes. This is the same plane from the famous film “Survive” or “Alive”, depending on who translated.
8. Even psychologists have noted that many unpleasant things happen to people on Friday the 13th. But there is no mysticism here, it’s just that if you prepare yourself for something bad all day, then it will happen.

Friday the 13th: signs and superstitions

Naturally, such a day is overgrown with all sorts of superstitions. I have collected a few signs for you:

A tree planted on Friday the thirteenth will not grow or bear fruit.

I don’t know why, but they say that if you cut your nails on this day, they will become brittle and will not grow well.

You can’t dye your hair eggplant and red shades (this is the first time I’ve heard this, but rumor is rumor).

Don't look back when you leave work on freaking Friday.

It’s better not to swear (don’t say “damn” and “pig”).

It's bad luck to stand under the stairs.

Black cats and women with empty buckets are especially scary on Fridays the 13th!

There is an opinion that if a funeral falls on this day, then it is possible that another person will die soon.

If you have too much fun on this day, then misfortune may happen to the merrymakers.

How to protect yourself

If you are such a superstitious person, and Friday the thirteenth really scares you. That is, ways to avoid all the bad things associated with it:

Do not assign important tasks, and do not make large purchases or enter into transactions;

Avoid travel;

Don't make important decisions;

Do not borrow or lend (on Fridays, in general, it is not recommended to do this);

Do not tell dreams (it is believed that dreams that occurred from Thursday to Friday should not be told);

Don't get into conflicts;

Be especially careful when driving;

It is better not to plan important medical procedures for Friday the 13th, and, in general, not to go to the hospital;

A wedding is also a very undesirable occurrence on this day.

Be careful on the Internet, as most computer viruses are believed to be sent on Friday the 13th.

As a last resort, if it’s really scary, take a day off and stay at home.

While I have not yet finally said goodbye, I would like to add, friends, everything in the world is relative, even Friday and the 13th do not carry such a negative connotation in all cultures. In some places it is not just a harmless day, but even a happy one.

And finally, remember the five-day work week! Whatever date falls on Friday, if it ends the work week, it means it’s a great day =) In general, be more positive and everything will be fine.

All the best to you. Take care of yourself and don't be afraid of prejudices.

The fear of Friday the 13th unites many. Indeed, regardless of culture, humanity continues to believe in a strange pattern: on Friday the 13th you shouldn’t do any important things, everything will go to waste anyway, and if it doesn’t, then some terrible thing will still happen. But where did this frightening superstition come from and should we really be afraid of an otherwise ordinary day?

Economic damage

Every year the world loses between $700 million and $800 million just because of Friday the 13th. People are simply refusing to carry on with business as usual, many are postponing important business decisions and many are rescheduling flights. Additionally, nearly 80% of buildings worldwide skip the 13th floor, airports avoid parking planes at Gate 13 (this led to an airliner crash in 1983), and hospitals choose not to use Gate 13.

last supper

First of all, the Last Supper will be important to our culture. The 13th guest and final apostle, Judas, betrayed Jesus - at least according to the Bible. The crucifixion of the “Savior” also took place on Friday, and on Friday Eve seduced Adam. The latter, however, we have ceased to be afraid of.

Code of Hammurabi

But the story of the fear of the number 13 did not even begin with this. This is the number of articles in the ancient Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, the Egyptians believed that the afterlife was divided into 13 stages, and the ancient Chinese avoided the same number because they were afraid of a demonic curse.

Scandinavians

There is a similar story in Scandinavian mythology. 12 gods, led by Odin himself, decided to hold a feast, but did not invite Loki. He burst into the celebration, and they did not drive him away. But that same evening Balder, the god of joy and happiness, suddenly died.

Phillip the Handsome

Much, much later, King Philip IV of France (also known as Philip the Fair) put the entire Christian order of the Templars on trial. The case began on Friday, October 13, 1307: tens of thousands of people died, and Jacques de Molay, commander of the order, cursed the entire Capetian branch. And the curse worked perfectly - some still blame it even for the Hundred Years War.

Mathematics

If these stories have not convinced you of the unlucky nature of the number 13, then let's return to more mundane mathematics. The 12 appears very often in our culture: 12 months of the year, 12 hours in a day, 12 signs of the Zodiac, 12 apostles of Jesus. We love 12 for a reason - it's a pseudo-ideal number because some of its divisors add up to a whole number.

It's your own fault

However, modern psychologists are confident that we ourselves have created this demon for ourselves. Stuart Weiss, a professor of psychology at Connecticut State College, recently published a seminal paper showing that it is only our own attitudes that fill the thirteenth with frightening events. If we could abstract ourselves from superstitions, Friday the thirteenth would be no different from an ordinary day.

If you are already or still at the age to watch horror films, then you may have watched the movie "Friday the 13th". In Western culture, however, now in ours too, if Friday falls on the 13th... or not, the 13th falls on Friday... In general, if Friday the 13th has come, then everyone - turn out the lights, something will happen - something bad, Apocalypse, Khan to everyone. Well, if not everyone, then definitely you.

So why is Friday the 13th considered a bad day? Let's start with history. Back in the days Ancient Rome, i.e. a couple of thousand years ago, Friday was execution day. Agree, if you are to be executed today, then this is unlikely to make anyone happy and it will be a happy day. Subsequently, in Britain, Friday became the day of the executioner.

During pagan times, in some cultures, Friday, on the contrary, was considered a sacred day. On this day, various rituals were performed, which with the advent of Christianity began to be considered the day of the Sabbath.

This is about Friday, since ancient times it has had a bad reputation. But the number 13 came separately and was not included in the kit. That is, these were two separate superstitions. That is, Friday the 13th was not a bad day, but Friday and the number 13 were separate.

The fear of the number 13 is also a long-standing one. They even came up with a name for this fear - triskaidekaphobia. And the fear of Friday the 13th was called paraskavedekatriaphobia (or also friggatriskaidekaphobia).

The fear of the number 13 most likely arose due to a confluence of several circumstances - historical and religious.

The religious background most likely lies in the fact that 13 people were present at the Last Supper - Jesus himself and his 12 disciples. Everything would be fine, but it was during this supper that Judas betrayed his Teacher. Therefore, for a very long time it was believed that if 13 people gathered at one table, then one of them would die within a year.

Also, in England, the number 13 is a "baker's dozen". In the Middle Ages, England introduced a harsh law punishing bakers who sold inferior loaves. Therefore, so that, God forbid, one would not be left without a hand (there was such a punishment), another one was added to every dozen loaves. Perhaps this (the number 13) stuck in the subcortex of English bakers, which they passed on to their children, and they passed it on to theirs, and so on to this day.

There is another version associated with the Templar Order. It was on Friday, October 13, 1307 that it was ordered to arrest members of the Templar Order, including the entire leadership. The order was dissolved, and some of the prominent figures of the order were executed. However, alas and ah for lovers of such theories - it is not considered seriously by modern historians, since it has a modern origin.

The rejection of the number 13 has become so pervasive in Western culture that in some countries there are no floors number 13 - it is immediately followed by 14, or 12A. Sometimes there is no 13th row in a theater or an airplane, and there is no 13th row in a car race.

For the first time, these two superstitions were combined by stock gambler Thomas Lawson, who wrote the novel "Friday the 13th", in which all his problems are a stock gambler, a.k.a. main character, associated with Friday the 13th. Here, as one gentleman correctly said, “two indicators of failure eventually merged” - this is how one super unlucky day arose.

“And if it is true that he, like many Italians, considered Friday to be a day of bad luck, and thirteen to be the number of bad luck, it is remarkable that he died on Friday, November 13th.”