Why is Friday the thirteenth considered unlucky?

Amongst the many different reasons, the most popular version is the Norse myth – which is basically North Germanic folklore.

Hyderabad: Legend has it that the 13th falling on Friday is an unlucky day. But if you ask why, you’re not bound to find only one answer.

Amongst the many different reasons, the most popular version is the Norse myth – which is basically North Germanic folklore. It originated with a story where 12 Gods were having a dinner party and a trickster God Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the 13th guest and created chaos. It is believed that one of the Gods was killed and the whole Earth went dark. Hence, the unlucky and eerie factor of the number 13.

While 13 was already a number that was considered unlucky, Friday was also seen in a similar light. The combination of them both gradually became a day that people stayed away from.

Friday, the thirteenth, falls on every month that begins on a Sunday. This happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year. For example, 2021 and 2022 had just one occurrence of Friday the 13th each, while 2023 and 2024 will have two Fridays each on the 13th.

The myth of this day being ‘unlucky’ was popularised after the publication TW Lawson’s popular novel ‘Friday, the Thirteenth’ in 1907. In the novel, an unscrupulous broker takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on that day.

There are also as many as 12 movies under the film franchise ‘Friday, the Thirteenth’ which started in the 1980s. These movies further propagate the myth.

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