Friday the 13th has long been considered a significant day. Unlucky or strange days by different cultures around the world.
Here’s a quick look at 13 facts about how Friday the 13th and the number 13 are viewed in popular culture, superstitious fears about this day, and notable historical events that happened on what many consider an unlucky day.
Friday the 13th and the number 13 in pop culture
John chapter 13 – Some people believe that the superstition about Friday the 13th is based on the fact that The description of Bible App Description of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Twelve Apostles, described in detail in John chapter 13.
Krispy Kreme is offering 13 cents donuts on Friday the 13th
Bible readers have noted that the 13th guest at the Last Supper, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Christ, and that Christ was later crucified on a Friday.
Many believe the superstition associated with Friday the 13th is found in John 13, when Jesus Christ is betrayed by his 13th guest, Judas Iscariot. (iStock)
1989 – Taylor SwiftThe “1989” singer considers the number 13 to be a lucky number. Swift was born on December 13, 1989, and her 13th birthday in 2002 was on Friday the 13th, she has said publicly in several interviews.
In 2009, MTV reported that Swift said her debut album went gold in 13 weeks and that her first song to reach number one had a 13-second intro.
“Every time I’ve won an award, I’ve been seated in the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section, or row M, which is the letter 13,” Swift reportedly said. “Basically, anytime 13 comes up in my life, it’s a good thing.”
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12 – There are 12 “Friday the 13th” films based on the fictional masked killer, Jason Voorhees.
There are 13 Friday the 13th films based on the fictional masked killer Jason Voorhees. (Getty Images; FREDERICK J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
This includes: Horror film franchises There were 11 compilation films released between 1980 and 2009, as well as the 2003 solo crossover film “Freddy vs. Jason,” in which Vorhees took on “A Nightmare on Elm Street” villain Freddy Krueger.
0 – Disney Travel Bloggers Claim Theme Park Operators in Florida have incorporated the number 13 into the design of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride, along with wait time signs.
If visitors to Disney’s Hollywood Studios see a sign saying there’s a 13-minute wait time at the scary drop tower, that usually means there’s no line and the wait time is zero, as many tourists have reported in blogs, online videos and social media posts.
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Friday the 13th: Superstitious Fears
1911 – Triskaidekaphobia, a Greek-origin word describing a fear of the number 13, was first used in an English publication in 1911 with Isador Coriat’s book “Abnormal Psychology,” according to WordOrigins.org, a historical website that details the origins of specific words and phrases.
It is reported that approximately 10% of Americans are affected by triskaidekaphobia. (Getty Images)
10% , According to History.com, phobia researchers estimate that triskaidekaphobia affects up to 10% of the U.S. population, and that number rises in the case of paraskevidekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th.
Up to 21 million – Donald Dossey, a phobia and distress expert who founded the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, told NPR that researchers estimate that in 2008 “some form of paraskavedecatriaphobia” affected 17 million to 21 million Americans.
$800 million – The fear of Friday the 13th causes financial losses of more than $800 million to various business industries each year, because Superstitious believers According to History.com, people refuse to hold special events (including weddings), travel, and sometimes even work.
80% – Researchers at the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute estimate that more than 80% High-rise buildings Many places in the United States, including hotels and hospitals, do not have a 13th floor, possibly due to superstition.
Over 80% of tall buildings in the US do not have a 13th floor and airports often do not have a 13th gate. (Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Some airlines skip Gate 13 at airports, the research center reports.
Friday the 13th: Notable historical moments
January 13, 1128 – According to History.com, Pope Honorius II recognized the Knights Templar as the “Army of God” on Friday, Jan. 13, 1128. This moment became the source of legend and conspiracy that still exists today — including inspiring the modern pop-culture legend The Da Vinci Code.
April 13, 1970 – According to NASA, the crew aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft headed to the moon were unable to complete their mission because the spacecraft’s oxygen tank exploded at 10:06 p.m. EST on Friday, April 13, 1970. Seven members The 12 crew members of Apollo 13 survived the accident.
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13 September, 1940 – According to the Royal Family’s website, which cites the Royal Archives, Buckingham Palace was bombed by German forces on Friday, September 13, 1940, during World War II.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, were present at the time, and a total of six bombs were reportedly dropped on the palace forecourt, quadrangle, chapel and garden.
October 13, 1972 – On Friday, October 13, 1972, two plane crashes occurred in Russia and South America.
Aeroflot flight Ilyushin Il-62 crashed into a forest near Moscow-Sheremetyevo airport while attempting to land due to bad weather, killing 164 passengers and 10 crew members, according to aviation news website Simple Flying.
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Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, flying from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, crashed in the Andes when the plane struck a mountain and broke off its wing, according to Britannica.
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Rescue workers found the wreckage of the plane more than two months later, and only 16 of the 45 passengers on board survived the ordeal that lasted several weeks.
On Friday the 13th in March 2020, COVID-19 was officially declared a national emergency. (iStock)
March 13, 2020 – President Donald Trump issued a proclamation at the White House on Friday, March 13, 2020 that COVID-19 outbreak declared A national emergency.
Fox News Digital’s Brittany Kasko, Christine Rousselle and Kerry Byrne contributed to this report.
