Friday the 13th: Why is it unlucky?

The history of Friday the 13th remains a little fuzzy, but one of the most popular theories about where the superstition came from has to do with Christian scripture. Supposedly, the dreaded date represents the 13 guests at the Last Supper and the fact that Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

If you’re a superstitious sort, you might regard this as the unluckiest day of the year – so keep away from ladders, don’t break any mirrors and don’t let any black cats cross your path.
Alternatively, you could try these tips:
1 Throw salt over your shoulder
Cooks of olden days believed they had an on-hand way of dealing with the common belief that no matter who you were, the devil was always standing just behind you ready to make mischief.
Throwing salt in his eye would distract him from causing trouble. Whether such a waste was good luck when it came to checking the kitchen accounts is another matter.
2. Hang up a horseshoe
Witches were said to ride on broomsticks because they were afraid of horses, so a horseshoe was considered a good charm with which to scare them off – provided of course that it was hung open side up, so as not to let the luck run out.
3. Search for a four-leaf clover
The botanical equivalent of hens’ teeth and particularly sought in Ireland, where people thought the fourth leaf represented St Patrick joining forces with the three of the Holy Trinity. Some legends say that when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, Eve took with her not only her fig leaf but a four-leaf clover as a memento of those happy days in Paradise before the snake turned up next to the apple tree.

In 1940, the Nazis dropped a bomb on Buckingham Palace, as part of the Blitz during World War II. The Royals were apparently taking tea at the time.
In 1970, a cyclone killed 500,000 people in Bangladesh on Friday in what is one of the most catastrophic natural events the world had ever seen.
In 1972, a plane crash in the Andes led to survivors eating one another to survive. The horrific events inspired the hit movie Alive.
In 1976, New Yorker Daz Baxter was so terrified of Friday the 13th he decided the safest place to stay was his bed - sounds like a good call, but it didn't turn out that way. Baxter was killed when the floor of his apartment block collapsed that day.
In 1996, Tupac Shakur died after being shot several times in Las Vegas as he left a Mike Tyson boxing match. There have been countless conspiracy theories about the rap legend's death... with some insisting he's still alive. Oh, and he's released seven albums after death.
In 2009, the £13.5 million SAW ride at Thorpe Park had its opening premiere, only to be shut down due to a computer programming fault. Spooky or what?
In 2010, lightning struck a 13-year-old Suffolk boy on Friday 13th at 13:13. Definitely unlucky for him.

Brunel University London economist Dr Jan Fidrmuc says science can prove definitively that you can put away the four-leaf clover.
Along with Dr JD Tena of Liverpool University, Dr Fidrmuc has published an academic paper which explodes the enduring myth that Friday the 13th is a particularly unlucky day.
He said: “Commonly the bad luck is attributed to Jesus being crucified on a Friday and there being 13 at the Last Supper, one of whom went on to betray him.
“But until now no one has come up with a scientifically robust way of establishing whether or not there is any objective evidence either way.
“Selecting the right kind of data is crucial. It’s no good using surveys. People are much more likely to remember something bad happening on an “unlucky” day.
Similarly, considering outcomes of actions, such as buying a house or to getting married, is fraught with difficulty, as superstitious people are unlikely to make such important decisions on an unlucky day. For example, when comparing those who got married on a Friday the 13th with the rest, the two groups are likely to be very different.
“And we know superstition about 13 measurably affects behaviour. In the UK the number of marriages fell sharply in 2013 compared with 2012 with the Office of National Statistics suggesting fears of bad luck might be to blame.
“In the US people spend less by an incredible $1 billion on Friday 13th compared with other “normal” Fridays. And don’t forget in any given year there can be between one and three such Fridays.
“On Friday 13 June, 2014 flights on budget airlines were considerably cheaper in Austria, France, Sweden and the UK than on any other days that month.”

It may just be a day like any other, but millions of Brits are petrified of Friday the 13th - refusing to walk under ladders, avoiding crossing the path of black cats, and more.
Researchers found that half the population - that's right, half - describe themselves as 'superstitious', with one in five dreading the arrival of Friday the 13th in particular.
One in six adults believe Friday the 13th poses the greatest risk of bad luck and consider it unluckier than black cats, broken mirrors and spilled salt.
The study also found the seven in ten wouldn't walk under a ladder for fear of bad luck (is that not just common sense?), while two thirds 'touch wood' to try and ward off any future bad luck.
Gregory Tatton-Brown from Casumo.com , which commissioned the research, said: "Even in modern times, with the power of science and technology at our backs, and less mystery in the world than ever before, it's hard to shake the feeling that invisible forces hold some sway over our lives.
"Friday the 13th still holds an odd power among the superstitious thanks to pop culture and enduring superstition from the Middle Ages, though many Brits still choose to make their own luck."

For Spaniards, it’s not Friday the 13th, but Tuesday the 13th, that's the day to dread.
As the old Spanish proverb warns: En martes, ni te cases, ni te embarques, ni de tu casa te apartes (on Tuesday, don’t get married, embark on a journey, or move away).
The Greeks, too, are fearful of Tuesday 13th.
Tuesday the 13th is indeed an ominous date for Greek history as Constantinople fell on the specific date - Tuesday, April 13, 1204 to be precise.
In China, it's the number 4 that's unlucky. The fourth floor - and in some cases all floors with the number four - are left out of Chinese buildings.

It seems the number 13 has been considered unlucky for like forever - even before Christ (and his 12 apostles).
The number 12 is historically considered the number of completeness, while its older cousin, 13, has been seen as an outlier.
There are 12 months of the year, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 hours of the clock, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles of Jesus, 12 Descendants of Muhammad Imams... and so on.
More than one in four streets in the UK don’t have a house with a number 13, where there is one it sells for less than number 12 or number 14 even if identical and high-rise hotels don’t even have a 13th floor.

Depends on how superstitious you are. If you're even a bit concerned, then why not stay indoors tonight and watch a movie - like, say, Friday The 13th? Oh, and remember to check through the peep hole when the pizza delivery guy arrives!