Friday The 13th Trivia And Facts: Is It Bad Luck?

Friday the 13th is considered to be the unluckiest day, but there are some people who view it differently. Since ancient times, both the number 13 and Friday are said to be linked to misfortune and bad luck. However, there is no scientific reason behind this, other than superstitious beliefs of many people even in modern times.

To mark this unlucky or maybe lucky day for some, following are 13 interesting fun facts and trivia about Friday the 13th.

1. Friggatriskaidekaphobia is when someone is afraid of Friday the 13th. Being afraid of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.

2. This day has been a widespread success for the movie industry as the “Friday the 13th” horror film franchise, which kicked off in 1980, has got up to 12 sequels.

3. There is at least one Friday the 13th in every year, and at the most there are three. In 2019, there will be two Fridays on a 13th — in September and December.

4. The number 13 is considered lucky by Italians.

5. The first recorded reference in English of Friday the 13th is in Henry Sutherland Edwards' 1869 biography of Gioachino Rissini, where Edwards writes: "Rossini was surrounded to the last by admiring and affectionate friends; Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky."

6. Many hospitals don’t have a room number with 13 in it as well as a 13th floor. The same thing goes for some tall buildings that normally skip the 13th floor. Some airlines also omit Gate 13.

7. There is a myth that says starting a trip on Friday could make someone encounter misfortune. Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt never had a 13th guest at a meal. He also would not travel on the 13th, no matter the day of the week it fell on.

8. Tupac Shakur was killed on Friday the 13th.

9. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug. 13, 1956.

10. Taylor Swift considers 13 her lucky number and used to paint 13 on her hand.

11. According to a myth, if someone cuts his/her hair on Friday the 13th, someone in the family might die.

12. In the ancient Babylon's Code of Hammurabi, dating to about 1772 BC, the number 13 is omitted in the list of laws.

13. Many mark this day by watching a horror movie or sharing spooky stories with each other.