Happy Friday the 13th
ImStillMags Mags
Today marks Friday the 13th, a date long regarded in Western culture as a symbol of bad luck and superstition, though its exact origins remain uncertain.
Historians trace the belief to Christian and Norse traditions, linking it to Judas Iscariot—the 13th guest at the Last Supper who betrayed Jesus—and Loki, the uninvited 13th guest at a divine banquet. Friday’s reputation as unlucky likely stems from the belief that Jesus was crucified on that day. Despite its reputation, no statistics show the date brings more misfortune than others. Still, the superstition endures, costing businesses hundreds of millions in lost travel and commerce. It has also inspired secret societies, novels, and the “Friday the 13th” horror franchise. Explore real-life events linked to the date here.
The fear even has a name: paraskevidekatriaphobia, coined by psychologist Donald Dossey, who told his patients, "When you learn to pronounce it, you're cured!" For the superstitious, it’s pronounced par-uh-skev-ee-dek-uh-try-uh-FOE-bee-uh.
