If you’re one for waving at magpies and avoiding ladders, today might hold a special significance for you, but the superstitions that surround Friday the 13th are more likely to be down to nothing more than a simple misunderstanding.
The modern day fear of the date appears to have originated in 1907 when, in a book published by Thomas Lawson, a group of fictional Wall Street stock brokers were wary of Friday the 13th (also the title of the book), with one character remarking that it “would break the best bull market ever under way”.
More recent research has revealed that women might be slightly more in danger on the day, but not because of any supernatural goings-on. In fact, a 2002 study found that friggatriskaidekaphobia (the fear of Friday the 13th) tends to put more women on edge, making them feel more anxious and, perhaps, more prone to accident.
In Spanish-speaking countries Tuesday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck, while Italians are superstitious on Fridays that fall on the 17th.
Superstitions aside, the date has been unlucky for some:
- The Italian composer Rossini had a lifelong superstition around Fridays and the number 13. He died on Friday, November 13th 1868.
- According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday. Scholars also believe Adam waited until the last day of the week to offer Eve the forbidden fruit.
- After dodging more than his fair share of bullets during his 25 years, the rapper Tupac Shakur lost his life on Friday, September 13th 1996 after he was shot six times. The murder remains unsolved.
