Today is one of the spookiest days of the year: Friday the 13th. Here are 13 fun facts about the unlucky day, its origins and even some of the good things about it.
- It’s unclear why Friday the 13th first became associated with bad luck. Many think it relates to Christianity, because thirteen people attended the Last Supper and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. But there are several other theories about the origin of the superstition.
- Some religious groups even believe the day is actually sacred and associate it with creativity, beauty, wisdom and divine femininity.
- Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the official name for the fear of Friday the 13th.
- Fear of the number 13 is a common fear in the U.S. At least 10 percent of people have a fear of the number, and studies show that more than 80 percent of high rise buildings in the U.S. don’t have a 13th floor, according to History.com.
- But there’s really no evidence to back up the superstition. Research has been conducted to see if incidents like hospital visits or natural disasters increase on the day, and nothing indicates they do.
- To be fair, some bad things in history did happen on Friday the 13th. The WWII bombing of Buckingham Palace took place on Friday, Sept. 13, 1940, and rapper Tupac Shakur died on Friday, Sept. 13, 1996.
- But some good things happened, too. The famous Hollywood sign was unveiled on Friday, July 13, 1923, and the accordion was patented on Friday, Jan. 13, 1854.
- And the Friday the 13th films own the spot of fifth highest grossing horror franchise in U.S. history. It grossed $380.6 million at the U.S. box office.
- If you’re still scared, there are lots of things you can do to ward off bad luck, like wearing your clothes inside out, carrying an acorn in your pocket or breaking a clear, uncolored glass.
- And be sure to stay away from things that might bring more bad luck your way, like cracks in the sidewalk and black cats. You should also avoid killing spiders, opening umbrellas indoors and spilling salt.
- Speaking of black cats, one Indiana town enacted a law in 1939 that required all black cats to wear bells around their necks on Friday the 13th.
- Superstitions around the date actually take a toll on the economy. It’s estimated the U.S. economy loses more than $800 million annually because of fears of the 13th.
- But that means you might be able to get some sweet discounts. Flights are usually cheaper, and it costs less to get married on Friday the 13th. It has also become tradition for tattoo parlors to offer $13 tattoo specials.
