Why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky
Friday the 13th is considered unlucky by many, but the exact origins surrounding the superstition are difficult for experts to pin down.
Some people believe the superstition relating to Friday the 13th stems from the fact that both Friday and the number 13 are thought to be unlucky, while others believe it is rooted in historical events that took place on the date, Friday the 13th.
The name for the fear of Friday the 13th is Paraskevidekatriaphobia, which was coined by psychotherapist Donald Dossey.
According to Britannica: "The superstition was first written about nearly 200 years ago in France, with references in literature such as Le Chateau de Carini (1834) and the play Les Finesses de gribouille (1834)."
It is a date that signifies bad luck in many Western cultures and is considered as unlucky as walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, opening an umbrella or crossing paths with a black cat.
While the exact origin of the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th is difficult to trace, in some cultures both 13 and Friday are considered unlucky.
In Norse mythology the number 13 is considered unlucky because of a story involving the Norse god of mischief, Loki, sneaking into a banquet in Valhalla. The story goes that 12 gods were invited, but Loki became the 13th and tricked the blind god Höd into shooting his brother, Balder - the god of light and goodness - with an arrow, triggering suffering in the world and resulting in the number 13 being considered unlucky.
In Christianity, Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was considered to be the 13th guest at The Last Supper and his betrayal led to the crucifixion of Jesus the following day - a Friday.
Historic events that led to the date being considered unlucky by some include Pope Clement V and King Philip IV of France taking action against the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307. They commanded the arrest of scores of Knights Templar over their allegedly blasphemous activities, including the grand master Jacques de Molay, who was tortured. Legend has it that he cursed the pope and the French king and decreed that his curse would continue through the ages.
During World War II, London's Buckingham Palace was hit by five German bomb strikes on Friday, September 13, 1940, resulting in the death of one staff member and the destruction of a royal chapel on palace grounds.
On Friday, 13, 1972 a Uruguayan Air Force plane crashed in the Andes mountains, with survivors stranded in the remote peaks until they were rescued two months later.
In 1976, New Yorker Daz Baxter decided to avoid the unlucky day by staying in bed, but was killed when the floor of his apartment block collapsed underneath him.
There is always at least one Friday the 13th in each calendar year, but the good news for those who fear the day is that there is only one this year!