Today is the first Friday the 13^th of 2017. We decided that it would be a good idea to write about this not so popular day and try to understand all the fears and phobias that are actually associated with this day since ages. 13 have always been considered as an unlucky number in the western culture and even in eastern countries like India the trend of considering 13 as an unlucky number has recently started.

The last supper

Many feel that the origin of this fear dates back to the times of Jesus. The last supper of Jesus was on a Thursday and the next day was a Friday when he was crucified. The last guest who came to his supper was the 13^th guest and it was this guest who conspired against Jesus.

There is a strong feeling that since this the concept of Friday the 13^th being a bad day started. People born on Friday the 13^th are considered to be the son of the evil.

There are many such stories and incidents that have been reported about this day from across the world for a long time. There are many countries in the world where inviting 13 people is avoided as it may bring bad luck to the host. Throughout Europe especially in Spain 13 is considered to the day of misfortune.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia

Many people suffer from a serious phobia due to this day. Friggatriskaidekaphobia is the name for this phobia, and it is real with millions of people across the world suffering are actually suffering from this phobia. It is unbelievable that many people in the western countries are so scared of this day that they will not even get out of the bed on this day.

The statistics prove that a good number of people in USA do not come to office on a Friday that falls on the 13^th of the month. This leads to a lot of losses in the county but it cannot be helped because these people are dreadfully scared of this day. A fear that has been given been successfully passed on from one generation to the other.

Most of these people who suffer from phobia do not actually know what they are scared of. The traffic department of UK confirms that on Friday the 13^th the number of road accidents are always very less because either people prefer not to come out of the house and even if they come out they will try to be extra careful.

The number 12

Number 12 as per western astrology and bible is a strong number and is preferred by many. There are 12 months, 12 signs of zodiac and even 12 gods. However, the next cousin of 12 that is number 13 has always been considered as the number of evil. As per the western numerology 13 is not a good number and it is the number of the evil and for black magic.

It takes 13 witches to form a coven. 13 is an irregular number as per the numerology. In Indian astrology and in Asian countries as such there was no traditional concept of 13 being an unlucky number. Today due to the exposure to the internet and the western culture even many people in the Asian countries have started to avoid the number 13.

Interesting 13 facts

Many movie makers have capitalised on this concept of Friday the 13^th and hundreds of horror movies have been made across the world with this subject. Most of these movies are also released on a Friday the 13^th. It is somewhat clear from where this fear actually originates. However, it is not easy to explain if this fear is true and if we should actually avoid the number 13. Talking of horror movies it is an interesting point to be noted here that Alfred Hitchcock was born on Friday the 13^th.

In the western countries for many years people have stopped to build the 13^th floor. There are many buildings across the world where you will not get to see the 13^th floor. Many hotels will not even have the room number 13. Many streets will not have a house number 13. Even in India now builders are skipping the 13^th floor as no one would want to own a house in the 13^th floor.

Many builders claim that there have been cases that none of the houses in the 13^th floor were actually sold. Even in China buildings with 13^th floor are not built. The fear for 13 has become so strong that some people have started to avoid the number 4 too because 13 totals to 4. Most people feel that the houses with 13 numbers are either haunted or evil.

This can also be attributed to the numerous movies that were made on this subject and continue to be made. There is no actual proof to support that the houses with number 13 are actually haunted and places where ghosts live.

In Britain the fear of Friday the 13^th is even bigger. People do not call doctors on Friday the 13^th as it is considered to be the indicator of death. Even cutting hair and nails on Friday the 13^th is inauspicious. Babies that are born on Friday the 13^th are laid on the family Bible.

13 in UK

Let’s look at the history of UK that will explain why Friday the 13^th is considered to be so evil by the British. It was Friday the 13^th when the Buckingham palace was bombed by the Germans in 1940. The attack was so bad that the king and queen escaped narrowly and the royal chapel was destroyed.  Another shocking incident that happened on Friday the 13^th was that the Chilean air force plane went missing.

Even after a lot of search the plane could not be traced. 2 months later 16 survivors of the crash were spotted. These survivors claimed that they ate dead passengers to survive for two months. There are many more such incidents that have been reported from time to time on Friday the 13^th. In the recent past on 15^th November 2015 seven terror attacks were reported in Paris.

This was a Friday the 13^th. Some say that it was the 13^th day when Eve ate the apple from the tree of knowledge. Some also claim that it was Friday the 13^th when the great floods started. There are many more such events that have constantly kept the fear of Friday the 13^th alive in the heart of the people. No wonder it is considered that Friday the 13^th is evil and it invites doom.

Less travellers

People especially in the west will not do any auspicious work on this day. All across the world the airlines report that there has been a drastic drop in the number of people flying on this day. Many airlines also reduce the cost of tickets on Friday the 13^th to ensure that people take flights. There are no weddings that are held on Friday the 13^th across the world. It is indeed interesting to see how deep rooted the fear of Friday the 13^th actually is. Years where the number of Friday the 13^th is more are considered to be seriously evil. There is also a belief among the western world that it will a Friday the 13^th when the doomsday will occur and destroy life on earth.

The coincidence

Is it true that Friday the 13^th is actually so bad and it can cause damage to people? For example in 1976 a person named Daz Baxter who was scared of this day and decided that he will not get out of the bed. He was sleeping in his bed and floor of the apartment collapsed due to some unknown reason and led to his death. There are many people who are scared of this day and will not step out of the house at any cost.

Was it the day that caused the death or it was a coincidence. If you are destined to die you will perhaps die no matter what the date and the day is. There are a lot of people who also consider 13 to be a lucky number. Numerology do claim that 4 can be a strong number for people who have a name number as 4. Accidents can happen on any day that is a fact. If an accident happens on a Friday the 13^th then the whole incident gets a new twist and adds to the fear.

Some may feel that Friday the 13^th is unnecessarily made to appear more horrible and scary than it actually is. No matter how much logic we try to attach to this fear of Friday the 13^th this will continue to be the day that has been haunting mankind for ages and will perhaps continue to do so.

The fear is so deep rooted that no one can take it out of the minds and the hearts of the people. We have in this article tried to discuss about some interesting facts about Friday the 13^th. We hope that our readers will enjoy this article and will have a great Friday the 13^th