Superstitions about Friday the 13th are some of the most widely held beliefs in the western world, and the date will probably be forever regarded as the unluckiest day of the year. Indeed there are several different words used to describe the fear of the date; one being triskaidekaphobia and another being Paraskevidekatriphobia.

In the very worst cases people will not even get out of the bed on Friday the 13th, so convinced are they that something bad will befall them. Contradictory scientific research though has shown that in some cases there are indeed more accidents on Friday the 13th and in some cases there are less. People might be so aware of the date that they take more care so fewer accidents occur, but conversely others might be so preoccupied with the date that accidents are bound to happen.

Friday the 13th though is of course only a date in a calendar, and every year will have at least one, whilst some years may have as many as three. So just why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?

In the truth the mythology of Friday the 13th is a twentieth century phenomenon, and prior to the late 1800s the term was never mentioned, at least it was never mentioned as being unlucky.

Today it is common to hear that the “unlucky” day came about as it was the day when the Knights Templar were put to the sword by King Philip IV and Pope Clement V. The date in question was Friday, 13 October 1307. Undoubtedly it was an unlucky date for the Knights Templar, but there is no reason why any great significance historically should be given to what is in truth a minor historical event. Indeed there is no mention of the date having any unlucky connection until the end of the twentieth century, when it is mentioned in Born in Blood (John J Robinson, 1989) and the Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown, 2003).

In truth the modern superstition about Friday the 13th probably arises from the amalgamation of two older superstitions; the fact that Friday is the unluckiest day of the week and that 13 is the unluckiest number. These two superstitions are old Anglo-Saxon and Christian beliefs.

The thought of Friday being unlucky probably dates back to the thought that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and subsequently it was decided that Adam and Eve also ate of the forbidden fruit on a Friday. Crucifixions throughout the Roman Empire would be held on a Friday and it was a tradition that also manifested itself in England, when public hangings were also normally undertaken on that day.

Thirteen being an unlucky number is also often associated with Christianity, and in particular Judas Iscariot was said to be the thirteenth guest at the Last Supper. Similarly a well-known myth from Norse mythology tells of Loki being the thirteenth guest at a banquet where the trickster god caused the death of Balder.

Of course there is nothing lucky or unlucky about Friday or 13. Pagans will often view 13 as a lucky number (there being 13 new moons in the year), whilst Friday in some religions is a holy day. Superstitions though surrounding Friday the 13th are now self-perpetuating, and people will now readily recall any mishap that befalls them on that date, whilst the same event, if it occurred on Thursday the 12th or even Thursday the 13th would be instantly forgotten.