Friday the 13th is a number that always scares everyone about the bad luck and misfortune it brings. It is no coincidence that many people fear this day, many terrible things have happened on Friday the 13th, further strengthening that belief.
In 2022, the nearest Friday the 13th will be on May 13, 2022. To better understand the truth about Friday the 13th as well as what is Friday the 13th? Why are so many people afraid of this day? Let’s find out through this article.
What is Friday the 13th?
According to Western beliefs, Friday the 13th is an extremely unlucky and unlucky day. Many people have to avoid it because many unhappy things have happened on this day, making them scared and fearful.
As for the unlucky stories of “Friday the 13th”, they are actually just folklore or just coincidences.
The fear of Friday the 13th has been called paraskavedekatriaphobia, a phrase derived from the Greek words: Παρασκευή, δεκατρείς and φοβία, meaning “Friday, the thirteenth, the fear of each person”.
Alternating the spelling of the above words can combine to form the words paraskevodekatriaphobia, paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia. This is a special form of triskaidekaphobia (phobia of the number 13).
According to historians, the number 13 has been considered a “special case” since 1780 BC when the famous Babylonian code of Hammurabi did not have a 13th law. In addition, many concepts from ancient times were only classified into 12 different individuals.
For example, the 12 zodiac signs, 12 months in a year, 12 hours in a day, 12 Greek gods, 12 apostles of Jesus, the hero Hercules performed 12 feats or 12 ancient tribes of the Israelites. In a specific way, the number 13 is a concept that goes beyond the usual rules of humans.
In addition, according to Norse mythology, the number 13 originated from the fact that the cunning god Loki secretly cooperated with the god of darkness Hoder to assassinate the god of happiness Balder at a party in the paradise of Valhalla. At that time, only 12 gods were invited to the party, Loki also came as an “uninvited guest”.
Immediately after Balder died, the whole Earth was plunged into darkness and mourning. It was a day of bad luck and misfortune. The fear of the number 13 is clearly evident in today’s modern world. More than 80% of high-rise buildings do not have a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Hospitals and hotels often do not have room 13.
So what about Friday? Why does it go with the number 13 to create a “couple of circumstances” about the concept of luck and misfortune in many people’s perception? Researchers have studied the Bible of Christianity carefully and they discovered that the day Eve gave Adam the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was on Friday, this event caused them to be expelled from there.
Christians always consider Friday the 13th as a day of sin and tragedy; because it was the day Jesus was betrayed by the 13th apostle, Judas betrayed him for 13 pieces of silver, and Jesus himself was crucified on Friday the 13th.
However, there have been attempts to prove that the number 13 and Friday are just ordinary categories but many other things. In the 1880s, a group of prominent New York City residents founded a club called the 13 Club, with Captain William Fowler – a veteran of the American Civil War – as chairman.
Fowler himself was also a person whose life was associated with the number 13 such as he participated in 13 major battles or he was discharged from the army on August 13, 1863, although Fowler believed that this number had nothing to do with each person’s destiny.
Mysterious and terrifying things that happened on Friday the 13th
1307: The Templars were executed
On Friday the 13th, 1307, the French king decided to arrest and execute the Templars, who were considered sacred figures in the Middle Ages, because the king thought they held too much power. This is also the reason why Friday the 13th is believed to be cursed.
1521: The Aztec Empire collapsed
Friday the 13th, 1521 marked an important event when King Cuauhtemoc of the once-glorious Aztec empire was captured by the Spanish when they invaded the capital city of Tenochtitlan. This event marked the beginning of the Aztec collapse and complete annihilation. It was an unlucky Friday the 13th for Emperor Cuauhtemoc.
1940: Buckingham Palace destroyed
During World War II, the Nazis repeatedly bombed the British capital London, but fortunately Buckingham Palace – the symbol of British power and royalty – was completely safe. Unfortunately, on Friday the 13th, 1940, German planes accurately tracked and bombed Buckingham Palace, causing severe damage.
1970: Floods in Bangladesh kill hundreds of thousands of people
On Friday the 13th, 1970, the terrible Bhola Cyclone swept through Bangladesh and killed nearly half a million people. This is considered the worst Friday the 13th in human history to date.
1972: Plane crash
On Friday, October 13, 1972, a plane carrying the Montevideo Old Christians rugby team crashed en route from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago, Chile.
Two months later, rescuers found 14 survivors and 31 dead after the disaster. However, the public was shocked by the story of the survivors. The truth is that they survived by eating some of the crew and passengers who died in the accident.
1989: The stock market suffered billions of dollars in losses
This is considered the second highest loss in the history of the world stock market. Many companies went bankrupt, the world market fell into stagnation due to billions of dollars in losses after the stock market crisis.
1989: Nearly a thousand computers in the UK stopped working
Also in 1989, in the UK, nearly a thousand computers suddenly stopped working due to a strange computer virus attack. The only solution was to erase the hard drive and reinstall the computer. As a result, many companies, individuals, and agencies lost important information and data on Friday, March 13, 1989.
March 13, 1992: A major earthquake occurred
On March 13, 1992, a major earthquake occurred in Turkey, killing more than 2,000 people and leaving about 50,000 homeless. This is considered the most damaging natural disaster in Turkey in decades.
August 13, 1993: A large building suddenly collapsed
The Royal Plaza Hotel was once the pride of the city of Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand, but everything changed because of an engineer’s negligence that led to the complete collapse of the building. Unable to maintain its weight, the massive structure fell to the ground within seconds, killing 137 people and injuring 227 others.
2012: Costa Concordia capsizes
The most modern and advanced cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, carrying 4,000 passengers from Italy, capsized on Friday the 13th, killing and injuring many people. This is considered one of the most unlucky events in the shipping industry because modern cruise ships like the Costa Concordia rarely have accidents.
The above are the horrors that happened on Friday the 13th, making people even more afraid. Regarding this issue, researchers at the University of Connecticut in New London said: It is the excessive trust and somewhat lack of understanding from ancient times that has led to a fear and obsession with Friday the 13th while it is just a normal day like any other day.
“If no one told us about the negative superstitions and taboos on Friday the 13th, many people would not feel anxious and would still do everything as usual,” said psychology professor Stuart Vyse of the University of Connecticut. “Not only that, this fear is also included in movies, many books, stories… which makes that obsession even stronger.”
Another researcher, Rebecca Borah of the University of Cincinnati, also said: “It is superstition over the past centuries that has made people form a habit of fear. Currently, we continue to acknowledge and believe that bad luck will happen on Friday the 13th.
It is that habit and way of thinking that makes the fear of Friday the 13th exist in everyone’s mind, making it more and more sustainable.”
