Friday the 13th is regarded by many cultures as a day of bad luck. Yet few know why it is perceived so negatively.
Background on Friday
Interestingly, the only day of the week named in honor of a female or woman is Friday, named in honor of the pagan goddess Freya or Frigg.
Friday is a variation of “Freya’s Day” or “Frigg’s Day.” Surprisingly, even though most people in the United States do not worship pagan gods, our calendar continues to remember and recognize them.
According to feminist researcher Barbara G. Walker, Friday is considered unlucky because of its connection to the Goddess. Please reference the following:
“Friday …Day of the Goddess Freya, called unlucky by Christian monks, because everything associated with female divinity was so called.” Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, p. 325
There are many people who really believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. Consider the following:
Friday the 13th
There are many different reasons behind the Friday the 13th lore. In Goddess and pagan lore, the Number 19 represents the sacred number of the Goddess. Friday the 13th combines the individual sacred goddess numbers of “6” and “13.” When these two numbers are added, you get the Number 19. Because Friday is the 6th day of the week and the number 13 or the 13th day of the month falls on the 6th day of the week, 6 + 13 = 19. For pagans, 13 is actually a lucky number for the above reasons.
Mythologist Joseph Campbell taught the significance of the number 13 as it applied and related to Jesus, at least in an arcane, esoteric, or metaphysical sense.
Jesus’ 12 disciples represented a perfect circle or cipher (circle of life, 12 departments of life denoted by the Zodiac) and Jesus being the 13th person of the group denoted Jesus being outside of the circle of life, basically Jesus being in the realm of the unknown (death, the mysterious) which most people are afraid of. Jesus had to die in order to enter into the realm of the unknown. This was not an actual physical death referred to in this sense, but a death to or of a certain dimension.
In Western culture, Friday has been considered an unlucky day since the 1400s, when first discussed in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Layering on the belief that 13 was an unlucky number, Friday the 13th was thought of as a particularly bad day, with potential for great misfortune.
The number 13 is another one of those ancient ideas that history has not treated kindly. Some people have given a dark and sinister account to that has controlled the public’s perception. Astrology, numerology, wicca, palmistry, and the other occult sciences have fared similarly.
Succumbing to Superstition
According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. “It’s been estimated that $800 – $900 million [US currency] is lost in business on this day”.
There is no need to suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskavedekatriaphobia (para-ska ved-e-ka-tria-phobia), a Greek word meaning ‘a fear of Friday the 13th.’ This condition was first mentioned in professional journals in the early 1950s.
The Reality of Friday the 13th
Just like any other day of the year, the energy you give something will manifest itself. If you believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, chances are you will attract negative experiences. On the other hand, if you believe that Friday the 13th is a like any other day, you will attract positive experiences.
People get back what they send out in thought and feeling.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
