Friday the 13th

"Friday the 13th Facts and Theories" by kire is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 

The Origins

Contrary to current belief, Friday the 13th hasn’t always been an unlucky day. In fact, at one time it was considered a day to celebrate the circle of life and all things feminine. According to Tanaaz Chubb, the day was originally seen as the time to honor the goddess Venus (or similar goddesses from different religions). 13 was believed to be a feminine number due to the 13 cycles of the moon, and Fridays were the day of Venus in many cultures. So, Friday the 13th was the most feminine of days. Ancient peoples would use it to celebrate life.

So why do we see it as unlucky?

The shift actually came from Christianity (not from our pal Jason). Many believe it was due to the Last Supper where Jesus and his 12 apostles ate on the day before his death on Friday. Some also think it came from the Knights of Templar being attacked and imprisoned on Friday the 13th, 1307 by King Philip IV. But, my favorite theory is that it came from the Christian fear of witches (12 in a coven plus the Devil makes 13) because they would meet on Fridays.

Is It Really Unlucky?

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th.
So how can a day that started as a celebration of life become a day full of accidents where everything seems to go wrong? Unfortunately for horror fans, it can’t. As of now, there is little scientific evidence that suggests that Friday the 13th is cursed in any way. In fact, there are actually less accidents on Friday the 13th because people are so scared of the day. There was one report by the British Medical Journal that suggested there was a 52% increase in the chances of getting into a vehicle accident, but this has been disproven since.
Most of the weird accidents that do occur on the day are probably because of the superstition, people believe something bad will happen so they make something bad happen.

The Franchise (Spoilers for the first film, but you’ve had 40 years to watch it)

Of course, the day still lives in infamy because of Sean S. Cunningham’s classic summer camp slasher. Surprisingly, this film seems to go back to Friday the 13th’s roots in its own twisted way.  The decision to make Pamela Voorhees the original killer could possibly nod to the feminine origins of the day. While I doubt that was the intention, a grieving mother wanting to stop other kids from dying does line up with a day celebrating  fertility and life.  It’s definitely a reach, but still fun to theorize!
Whatever this day means to you, remember to stay in a group, watch your favorite Friday the 13th movie, and above all, stay away from Camp Crystal Lake.