Today falls on Friday the thirteenth of January, this date may be an ordinary day for many, but some still consider it a day of bad luck and misfortune, especially since there are many myths spread in various cultures about this day and this date.
The irrational fear of the number 13 has been given a scientific name known as triskaidekaphobia, and the fear of Friday the 13th has its own name known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, inspired by the Greek, paraskeví meaning Friday and dekatreís meaning the number 13.
Some people avoid getting married on Friday the 13th, others take a day off work or refuse to travel on this date.
It is believed that the fear of the number 13, which coincides with Friday, began in the Middle Ages, in relation to some Christian beliefs that Christ was crucified on Friday after eating the Last Supper with his twelve disciples. Many believe this is because the traitorous disciple, Judas Iscariot, was the 13th guest who attended Jesus' last supper, and handed it over to the Jews, leading to Jesus' crucifixion on Friday.
Folklore historian Donald Ducey previously noted that the pessimism of the number 13 first came from Norse legend. This was among the 12 gods giving a dinner party in Valhalla, when the deceitful god Loki, who had not been invited, arrived as guest number 13. Loki is said to have arranged for Hodder (the blind god in Norse mythology) to shoot an arrow at his brother Baldr, killing him.
One of the historical reasons for fearing this date is that on Friday 13 October 1307, French King Philip IV arrested hundreds of members of the Knights Templar, provoking supernatural rage (as recorded in many fairy tales including The Iron King by Maurice Drion in 1955).
All this remains within the framework of myths. As for the only truth, Friday 13 will inevitably pass at least once a year, and this date may coincide with Friday three times a year as a maximum.
And while Friday the 13th may seem like a rare phenomenon, the Gregorian calendar means that the 13th of any month is more likely to fall on a Friday than any other day of the week.
The longest one can go without seeing Friday the 13th is 14 months, after which there is no way to avoid it.
This year we are expected to witness another Friday on the 13th of December.