Friday the 13th The Day of Bad Luck

Today is Friday, February 13, 2026. Some believe 'Friday the 13th' to be an unlucky day.

Although Friday the 13th is widely believed to bring bad luck in Western culture, no scientific basis has been found for it. This fear is merely a creation based on ancient myths, religious beliefs, and the influence of modern popular culture. Specifically, the ideas that both the number 13 and the day Friday are unlucky have contributed to this.

According to Norse mythology, Loki was the 13th guest at the banquet that led to the death of the god Balder. Similarly, in Christian tradition, Judas, the 13th person to attend the Last Supper, betrayed Jesus, and the crucifixion occurred on a Friday. These are considered major reasons for the belief.

To further solidify the belief that this day is unlucky, people cite various tragedies that have occurred throughout history. Key examples include King Philip IV of France arresting and torturing hundreds of Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307; the bombing of Buckingham Palace during the London Blitz on September 13, 1940; the murder of Kitty Genovese in New York on March 13, 1964; and the fatal shooting of famous rapper Tupac Shakur on September 13, 1996. These historical events, along with the "Friday the 13th" Hollywood film series centered around the killer Jason Voorhees, have contributed to this fear becoming a global popular culture phenomenon.

However, research has confirmed that there is no statistical evidence for this condition, known as Friggatriskaidekaphobia (the fear of Friday the 13th).

Although a 1993 study in Britain indicated an increase in traffic accidents, the researchers themselves admitted it was conducted as a joke using a small sample.

Large-scale traffic studies in Finland, as well as analyses of hospital data, have also confirmed that there is no truth to the claim of increased accidents on this day.

Psychologists point out that this is merely 'magical thinking'; that is, people have a psychological tendency to remember only the bad things that happen on this day, while forgetting the ordinary Friday the 13th days that pass without incident. Furthermore, the fear associated with this day leads people to avoid travel and surgeries, resulting in millions of dollars in economic losses.

Looking at other cultures around the world, it is very clear that the fear of this day is limited to the West. In East Asian countries like China, Japan, and Korea, the number 4 is considered the primary unlucky number because in their languages, 'four' sounds similar to the word 'death'. Moreover, in Arab and most Islamic countries, Friday is a highly sacred day reserved for communal prayers, and according to Islamic theology, no day is considered unlucky.

Additionally, Italians consider Friday the 17th to be unlucky. This is because the Roman numeral "XVII" can be rearranged to "VIXI," which means "my life is over" in Latin. In Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, Tuesday the 13th is considered the unlucky day. Taking a completely different meaning, in Thailand, Friday sounds like "day of happiness," so they consider it a very auspicious day.