Origin of Friday the 13th
The obsession with Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, deriving from the Greek words Παρασκευή, δεκατρείς, and φοβία. It means Friday, the ordinal number 13, and fear/obsession.
According to historians, the number 13 is considered special. The famous Hammurabi Code of the Babylonians, dating back to 1780 BC, does not have a law number 13. Many other ancient concepts only refer to the number 12, such as a year with 12 months, the 12 zodiac signs, a day with 12 hours, 12 Greek gods, 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, and Hercules’ 12 labors… The number 13 is seen as a concept that goes beyond the usual human conventions.
According to Norse mythology, the number 12 originated from the mischievous god Loki. Loki secretly conspired with the dark god Hoder to plan the assassination of the god of happiness, Balder, at the Valhalla feast. Only 12 gods were invited to this feast. Loki was the uninvited guest. After Balder was assassinated, the earth plunged into darkness and sadness. This was considered a period of unfortunate and unlucky days.
Nowadays, people often avoid the number 13 because they believe it is unlucky. For example, many buildings do not have a 13th floor, many hotels and hospitals do not have room number 13, and many airports skip gate number 13…
How many Friday the 13th in the year 2024? Which months do they fall on?
Each year can have from 1 to 3 Friday the 13th. For example, in 2018, there were 2 Friday the 13th (falling in April and July); in 2019, there were 2 Friday the 13th (in September and December); in 2020, there were also 2 Friday the 13th (falling in March and November). In 2021, there was only 1 Friday the 13th (in August). In 2022, there was 1 Friday the 13th (in May). In 2023, there were 2 Friday the 13th (in January and October). In 2024, there will be 2 Friday the 13th falling in September and December.
Friday the 13th will occur in the months where the first day of the month falls on a Sunday.
Things not to do on Friday the 13th
On this day, it is believed that avoiding the following activities will limit bad luck and undesirable events.
Avoid cutting hair, trimming nails, going on a boat on Friday the 13th. Do not attend a funeral on this day. Do not start a business venture on Friday the 13th; do not travel far; do not change beds.
Information is for reference and personal interpretation.
Friday the 13th: 3 things to avoid, 3 things to do to avoid bad luck
According to some people, Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. On this day, people will avoid doing certain things to avoid bad luck.
Why Most Apartment Buildings Don’t Have a 13th Floor
Apartment buildings do not have a 13th floor or replace the number 13 with different numbers.
