It’s believed to be the most unlucky date, but why is Friday the 13th famous? And has anything creepy ever really happened on Friday the 13th? Here are 13 things you didn’t know about Friday the 13th.
1. Jesus Christ Superstar
The superstition that Friday the 13th is unlucky is believed to find its origins in the bible. Jesus had 12 apostles, plus himself at the Last Supper. i.e. a group of 13. Shortly after, he was crucified on a Friday, hence the unlucky combination. Other theories link Friday 13th to Norse mythology and the Knights Templar, made famous in Dan Brown’s the Da Vinci Code.
2. The Fear
Are you triskaidekaphobic? The term was coined for fear of the number 13, but there’s an even longer more unprounouncable phrase for specific fear of Friday the 13th . Paraskevidekatriaphobia, deriving from the Greek word for “Friday”, is the term used to describe an irrational fear of Friday 13ths. It’s a good thing they can only occur a maximum three times per year.
3. I’ll be there with bells on
Adding to the superstition, one town in America put bells on black cats every Friday 13th. The town board of French Lick, Indiana decided in the 1930s to hang the chimes from the felines, and carried on doing so for almost two decades.
An article in the National Geographic once claimed that up to 900 billion US dollars were lost in trade on Friday the 13th. Whether people are extra anxious or not, airlines have claimed that they do not suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays.
5. Viva Italia
Friday the 13th is no big deal in Italy, they actually have a different day to dread. Friday the 17th is considered bad luck in Italian culture, probably because 17 in Roman Numerals is written XVII, an anagram of the word VIXI, the Latin for “I have lived”. In fact, 13 can even be considered a lucky number by some Italians.
6. Once upon a time in Hollywood
The famous Hollywood sign was erected on Friday 13th, 1929. Before the sign took on the lettering we see today it actually read “Holywoodland”-the full name of the development that was being built on the hills above Los Angeles.
7. It was a bad day for Tupac...
Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur died on Friday September 13th 1996 in L.A. He had been shot by an assassin a week earlier after leaving a boxing match.
8. But it’s a good day for Tay Tay!
Pop princess Taylor Swift considers 13 to be her lucky number! The singer often used to draw the number 13 in eyeliner on her hand before a show, and her twitter handle is @taylorswift13
9. Two of a Kind
The famous twins Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen were born on Friday the 13th! Considering how the duo went on to carve out quite a celebrity status and begin their own fashion line, the day might not be so unlucky after all.
10. Close Encounter
It's not exactly Armageddon, but Earth will come VERY close to an asteroid on a Friday 13th in the future. NASA projects that on April 13, 2029, we’ll be able to go outside, look up, and see a bright light gliding through the sky. In other words, we’ll see asteroid 2004 MN4 just missing us!
11.Rock on
Some like to say that heavy metal was born on this date! Black Sabbath’s legendary debut album “Black Sabbath” was released on Friday February 13th 1970, considered by some to be the start of the new genre in music.
12.Buckingham Palace was bombed
During the Blitz of WWII, the Nazis targeted Buckingham Palace many times, and one Friday the 13th they succeeded. On Sept 13th 1940, Queen Elizabeth and King George VI were having tea, when five bombs struck the palace, one destroying the interior of the royal chapel. The royals survived but three staff were injured and one died as a result of the attack.
13.Movie Magic
The mystery slasher movie “Friday the 13th” was a surprise box office hit. The independent movie had a budget of just $550,000 but it grossed $39.7million at the box office. Which was pretty lucky for some.
