The history of superstitions and Friday the 13th is vague and uncertain. It is unclear at which point Friday became the black sheep of the flock, but there are some suggestions. The most widespread ones mention the Bible as the source. Some claim it all began when Eve took a bite from the forbidden apple, others say it was when Christ was betrayed by Judas during the last supper or when he was crucified and changed history as a result.
Other interpretations point to the slaughter of hundreds of Knights Templar on Friday the 13th, October 1307 in France as being the origin of the myth. Despite the multitude of possible sources, one thing is clear: the superstitions still live on and continue to look as menacing as always.
Memorable and unfortunate events that occurred on Friday the 13th
A team of experts from North Carolina has calculated that beliefs in Friday the 13th superstitions cause people to miss work, resulting in over $700 million in losses every year. This means that we no longer talk about cases, but about a phenomenon.
The modern-day ominous aura surrounding this day steams off of the multitude of unfortunate events linked to Friday the 13th:
1. The famous rapper Tupac Shakur died on Friday the 13th, after being shot several days earlier in Las Vegas.
2. Nazis attacked Buckingham Palace during WW II on Friday, September 13th, 1940.
3. 500,000 people died in Bangladesh and India on Friday, November, 13th, 1970, during the Bhola cyclone.
4. November 13, 1829, brought the death of the famous daredevil Sam Patch, who fell into the Niagara River and perished.
Scientists are not convinced
Various research has taken place, trying to shed light on this mystery once and for all and it was a team of Dutch researchers who found a surprising fact. According to their findings, people were less likely to get into accidents on Friday the 13th, because the superstitions made them more careful.
