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What is Friday the 13th? Why is it an unlucky day? Why some people are superstitious

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The calendar has turned to September and that means people are preparing for the spooky season with Halloween decorations, bonfires and anything that tastes like pumpkin.

Although Halloween is a scary day in itself, many people also feel uneasy and unlucky on Friday the 13th. This year, the date occurs twice, in September and December. The next holiday after December will not be until June 2025.

Fear and anxiety about this day may have been exacerbated by the slasher film series starring Jason Voorhees. But where does this superstition come from? Here you can find out everything you need to know.

Why do some people get tattoos on Friday the 13th? How the day became a lucky day for the tattoo industry

Why is Friday the 13th considered an unlucky day?

According to National Geographic Kids, the exact origin of Friday the 13th as an unlucky day is unknown, but “it probably originates from the Christian religion.”

“For example, in the Bible, Judas – a person who is said to have betrayed Jesus – was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Also, many unfortunate things happened on Fridays in the Bible,” says National Geographic Kids.

Friday the 13th combines two taboos from the Bible, says Dr. Phil Stevens, a retired anthropology professor from the University at Buffalo and author of a book called “Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft: Inherently Human.” Based on the story of Jesus' Last Supper, there were 13 people at the table and it happened on a Thursday. He was arrested that night and crucified the next day, a Friday.

“So the number 13 is associated with this horrific event. And on Friday the 13th, it's a double whammy. Both elements come together: the taboo against the number 13 and the crucifixion that took place on a Friday,” Stevens said in an interview with USA TODAY last year.

Although the taboo is linked to the Last Supper, Stevens says it didn't spread until 1,000 years after Jesus' story, when more people became interested in the Bible. He believes the taboo is weakening now that people are more accepting of the number 13, and it's only a matter of time before it disappears.

Why “magical thinking” is the key to Friday the 13th superstition

Stevens also spoke about how the day was an example of “magical thinking.”

Stevens said he likes to think of the superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th as an example of magical thinking. He says magical thinking occurs when someone believes there is a causal connection between two things that are otherwise unrelated. For example, Friday and the 13th take on a different quality when they fall on the same day.

He also said that he considers it taboo because superstition has a negative connotation, even when someone uses it to describe their own beliefs.

“The word taboo is actually appropriate for this kind of superstition. Because it is the term that means that one should avoid making a magical connection. People can actively use magic to make things happen by recognizing the connections between things, but if the connections between things could have an unfortunate outcome, then people avoid those connections,” Stevens said at the time.

Some people look for positive connections between things. For example, in China, the 2008 Olympic Games began at 8:08 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month because this number is associated with good luck.

Another example is when someone owns a lucky charm or assigns greater value to an object after hearing about it from a celebrity, Stevens said.

Why is Friday the 13th associated with tattoos?

Friday the 13th is something like Black Friday for tattoo shops.

Many tattoo studios offer special promotions and charge heavily discounted prices for tattoo work, often at a flat rate that is equal to or even less than the store minimum price (the minimum price a tattoo studio will typically charge for a tattoo to cover the cost of basic supplies and overhead).

The average hourly rate most artists charge is between $100 and $200 and up, making these flash sales a great deal. While cheap pre-made flash tattoos and flash sales are not uncommon during the rest of the calendar year, Friday the 13th is the one day you can count on finding a plethora of discounts at several shops near you.

The modern model for Friday the 13th as a tattoo holiday is often attributed to co-owner of Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas, Oliver Peck, who you may know from the television show “Ink Master” and his brief marriage to Kat Von D (he has since been removed from the show due to a blackface controversy).

Peck previously told Vice that he was “definitely not the first person to do it.” While he took inspiration from fellow artist Dave Lum's Halloween specials, he “made an event out of it.” He hosted his first major Friday the 13th event in 1995 at the now-defunct Pair O' Dice in Dallas, a marathon session of tattooing the number “13” on as many people as possible in 24 hours.

His attempt to create his own tradition made an impression, and he and his colleagues began holding these 24-hour tattooathons every year. He even managed to get into the Guinness Book of Records for tattooing the number 13 on 415 people in 24 hours on Friday, June 13, 2008.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on X. @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].

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