Science and myths of Friday the 13th

March 19th, 2015

David Schulberg

There are numerous reasons why some consider Friday the 13th to be a date of bad luck but it can be summed up into two superstitions basically: Some point to Friday as the most dangerous day of the week, and Triskaidekaphobia which is basically the fear of the number thirteen. On analogy to this the fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia, which actually originates from the Greek words Paraskeví and dekatreís.

According to Biblical scholars this date has its bad reputation, because of a couple of things: It was the day Jesus was crucified, and Friday was the day when Eve bit into the forbidden apple, why Eve? Why Friday?

As for why most people don’t like the thirteen, beyond the mythological explanations, no logical argument is actually give. But it is said that twelve is the integral number of completeness: twelve are the months of the year, signs of Zodiac, twelve were the apostles of Jesus and the tribes of Israel. So the big bad number thirteen comes to disarm the perfection, creating restlessness and anxiety… apparently.

They say science can explain most of the things, so a few scientists have been tempted to test the effects of this superstition compared with the number of traffic accidents, stab wounds, suicide or emergencies treated in hospitals, a pretty neat experiment to test just how bad the number thirteen is. Other than the number of stab wounds, no other date had varied results. And in any case, the variation may be due not to the curse of the date but fear that this date actually causes and its effects on people, or better said the brain of people. Because if one thing is scientifically proven it is that humans (and animals) are superstitious, Ever cursed at the black cat that crossed the road? Well… its pretty much the same thing when it comes to Friday the thirteen.

Specialists mention that the brain’s tendency to have everything under control is something related to superstition; when the brain finds it impossible to control or understand something, it accepts the introduction of rituals and beliefs that will give you (the person) peace of mind.

But hey, not only are humans superstitious, animals are to apparently… In 1948 researchers conducted an experiment with eight pigeons, which were given food without any cause; pigeons then repeated the movements they had made before receiving food, although there was no causal relationship between their actions and the results. This according to researchers is superstitious behavior. Thus, the phenomenon of superstition, linked to Friday 13 transcended the barrier of the human reign, making it a worldwide phenomena. So if you are afraid of Friday or the number thirteen… don’t worry you’ll be just fine, and remember that in Spanish-speaking countries, instead of Friday, Tuesday the 13th (martes trece) is considered to be a really unlucky day. In Italy Friday the 17th is considered a day of bad luck; the reason for this is the writing of number 17, in ancient Latin: XVII, why is this unlucky? well for nothing unless you decide to shuffle and play around with the roman digits where you can easily get the word VIXI (“I have lived”, which according to some implies death in the present, and is considered an omen of bad luck) but that of course, as all of the above is just superstition.

And if you still are afraid of this date, well don’t worry, you are not alone, because an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States of America are terrified of this day, making it the most feared day and date in history.