Wild, Wacky and Wonderful: Friday The 13th

History

Both the number thirteen and Friday have been considered unlucky:

In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve recognized signs of the zodiac, the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve Apostles of Jesus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness.^[2] There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.
Friday, as the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified, has been viewed both positively and negatively among Christians. The actual day of Crucifixion was the 14th day of Nissan in the Hebrew Lunar calendar which does not correspond to "Friday" in the solar calendar of Rome. The 15th day of Nissan (beginning at Sundown) is celebration of Passover.

Despite the onus on the two separated elements, there is no evidence for a link between the two before the 19th century. The earliest known reference in English occurs in a 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini:

[Rossini] was surrounded to the last by admiring and affectionate friends; and if it be true that, like so many other Italians, he regarded Friday as an unlucky day, and thirteen as an unlucky number, it is remarkable that on Friday, the 13th of November, he died.^[3]

However, only in the 20th century did the superstition receive greater audience, as

Friday the 13th doesn't even merit a mention in E. Cobham Brewer's voluminous 1898 edition of the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, though one does find entries for "Friday, an Unlucky Day" and "Thirteen Unlucky." When the date of ill fate finally does make an appearance in later editions of the text, it is without extravagant claims as to the superstition's historicity or longevity.^[4]

Though the superstition developed relatively recently, much older origins are often claimed for it, most notably in the novel The Da Vinci Code (and later the film), which traced the belief to the arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday October 13, 1307.^[4]

Effects in people and cultures

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, more than 67 million people are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines like doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. "$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day".^[2] Despite this, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don't suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays.^[5]

A British Medical Journal study has shown that there is a significant increase in traffic-related accidents on Fridays the 13th.^[6]

Planned events on Fridays the 13th

Some events are intentionally scheduled for Friday the 13th for dramatic effect. They include:

Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album was released in the UK on Friday, February 13, 1970.

The 13th book in A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Friday, October 13, 2006 by Lemony Snicket, also known as novelist Daniel Handler.

Friday the Thirteenth, a gathering for motorcycle enthusiasts held in the Canadian beach town of Port Dover, Ontario every Friday the 13th.

The 2008 film The Happening is planned to release on Friday, June 13, 2008.

The first TV special on iCarly, "iCarly Saves TV" is planned to be aired on June 13, 2008.

The Incredible Hulk is planned to release on June 13, 2008.

The remake of the original Friday the 13th is planned to release on Friday, February 13, 2009.

Natural events on Fridays the 13th

Due to the large number of events that happen in the world, a similar list could be compiled for any combination of day of the month and day of the week.