This October 13, 2023 falls on a Friday. So, are you planning to spend a fortune on scratch cards to try and win the jackpot, or are you suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia? What's your question? What's it like? Yes, paraskevidekatriaphobia is the phobia of Friday the thirteenth. And there are a lot of them in France. So, whether Friday the 13th is lucky or unlucky, where does this superstition for this very special day come from?
It seems to have a religious origin, linked to two important events: Christ's crucifixion, which took place on a Friday, and the famous Last Supper, where Jesus gathered his 12 apostles and a 13th guest, Judas, who betrayed him before leaving the meal. The combination of the two is said to have created a strong superstition about Friday the 13th.
But strangely enough, the association of Friday and the number 13 is not a sign of bad luck or fear everywhere. In Spain, Tuesday the 13th is more feared by the population, while Italians dread Friday the 17th.
Fears that sometimes have a negative impact on the economy. As Donald Dossey, historian and founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, explained to National Geographic, some people refuse to fly, take the train or buy a house on Friday the 13th. " Every Friday the 13th, the economy loses 650 to 730 million euros because people don't fly or work the way they would on a normal day," he explains.
While some people dread leaving their homes on Friday the 13th, others are putting all the odds on their side, believing that this day brings good luck. In fact, many of them believe that the combination of Friday and the number 13 cancels out bad luck. And they may be right. According to a 2008 study by the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics, reported by National Geographic, "there were fewer accidents on Friday the 13th than on any other Friday ".
So, is Friday the 13th a lucky or unlucky day?
