When you think of Friday the 13th, what comes to mind? Maybe superstitions, horror movies, unlucky events, etc. But where does this origin come from? What if I told you that for some, it's actually an incredibly lucky day?
Let's begin with how the number 13 began to be seen as unlucky, and why Friday is also associated with this day. The first record of this number being seen as unlucky began in the 1600s where it was deemed unlucky for 13 people to be seated at a table. Many believed that the 13th person to sit at the table would actually die within the year. This can be reflected in the bible at The Last Supper. There are also many other times in which the number 13 (or lack thereof) may come up in everyday life. Women go through about 13 menstruations in a year, 13 people were at The Last Supper, and many hotels actually purposefully don't have a 13th floor. Little oddities such as these have made people afraid of the number.
Now where does Friday come into play? In the U.S. Friday is considered the 6th day of the week, a number that is associated with 666, aka the Devil's number. In the bible, Jesus being crucified, Eve tempting Adam, and the great floods all occurred on Friday. Therefore, the bible and Christianity in general has encountered many problems with this day in week and number.
On the other hand for Pagans, however, Friday the 13th was completely the opposite! Friday was a day where you could receive gifts and blessings from the gods, and 13 was considered the last stage of life, a natural part of life that should not be feared. The origin of the name Friday was actually from Freya, the goddess of love and fertility.
When Christians began converting Pagans to their religion, they would do everything they could to make the other gods as bad as possible. With the number 13 being connected to a goddess they did not want to support and being associated with women and fertility (Ex: 13 menstruations), they associated women with witchcraft and pushed the idea of Friday the 13th being unlucky.
So is Friday the 13th really unlucky, or lucky after all? It is up to you to believe in what you will, but hopefully luck will be on your side today.
