Friday The 13th' Today: Know origins of this 'spooky' day, when does it occur, decode the fear

It's not just any Friday, its Friday the ‘13th’. The number is already believed to be unlucky in many cultures, however, whenever this date comes on a Friday it is believed to be unlucky according to various mythologies.  

Why this superstition? 

In Western culture Friday the 13th is more infamous. It arose due to both centuries old myths and historical beliefs. According to Norse mythology, Loki, a god in Norse mythology and considered a ‘trickster’, entered a Valhalla feat as its 13th guest that led to a tragedy. This fear spread in Europe and people started associating the number 13 as a bad omen.  

There is another story in biblical traditions according to which the Last Supper, held on Maundy Thursday, witnessed 13 guests among whom were Jesus and his 12 apostles. One of the apostles was Judas Iscariot who was the 13th guest and who betrayed Jesus before he was crucified on Friday.  

Many stories historically marked Friday as being unlucky. Events like Adam and Eve’s fall, Noah’s Ark and Abel’s (considered second son of Adam and Eve in the Book Of Genesis) murder fall on Fridays.  

Many movies and books around the world increased the fear and superstition of Friday the 13th. Among them are Thomas W Lawson's novel Friday, the Thirteenth and a 1980 Hollywood movie, Friday the 13th. Dan Brown’s the Da Vinci Code also added to the fear. There phobia of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.  

This date comes every year but the number of times it occurs varies yearly. In  

In 2015, Friday the 13th occurred in February, March and November. From 2017 to 2020 and then in 2023 Friday the 13th occurred twice. In the years 2016, 2021 and 2022 it occurred only once. In 2024 this date occurred twice, first in September and second in December.  

In 2025, 2027 and 2028, Friday the 13th will occur only once, while in 2026 it will occur thrice. Leap Years that start with a Sunday like 2012 and 2040 witness Friday the 13th thrice: First in January, then in April and July. However, it is noticed that whenever a month begins with a Sunday a Friday the 13th takes place.