Friday the 13th
What makes Friday the 13th unlucky? It’s a combination of things.
- In numerology, the number 12 is considered the number of completeness. There are twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc. The number 13 is considered irregular. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners. So the lesson there is never have thirteen people at your dinner table.
- Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century’s The Canterbury Tales. Many professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects. Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s. It has also been suggested that Friday has been considered an unlucky day because, according to Christian scripture and tradition, Jesus was crucified on a Friday.
Friday the 13th occurs only when a month begins on a Sunday. It happens at least once each year, but never more than three times. The next Friday the 13th is in August 2010.
On such a rare day, we’re going to have fun recognizing all the good and exciting things about the day. We’re going to think of it as extra-lucky instead of unlucky.
