Friday the 13th is here. Here's why people think it's unlucky.
June 13 may be an unlucky date this year as it falls on a Friday, making it the first and only Friday the 13th of 2025.
The unlucky date has long been a staple of pop culture, most notably being the title of the long-running film franchise.
Some businesses have gotten in on the action this year by offering food deals, like Krispy Kreme and Chipotle.
Last year saw Friday the 13th on the calendar twice, while 2026 will have three instances of Fridays the 13th in February, March and November.
According to National Geographic Kids, the exact origins of when Friday the 13th became thought of as unlucky are unknown, however, it "likely comes 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 in the Bible, many unfortunate things happened on Fridays," according to the magazine.
Here's why some think Friday the 13th is unlucky.
Friday the 13th combines two taboos that come from the Bible, according to Dr. Phil Stevens, a retired anthropology professor from the University at Buffalo and the author of a book titled "Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft: Inherently Human." Based on the story of the Last Supper of Jesus, 13 people were seated at the table and it happened on a Thursday. He was arrested that evening, and crucified the next day, on a Friday.
"So 13 is associated with that terrible event. And Friday, the 13th you get a double whammy. You get both of these elements coming together: the taboo against 13, and the crucifixion, which was on a Friday," Stevens said in a previous interview with USA TODAY.
Even though the taboo is tied to the Last Supper, Stevens said it didn't become widespread until 1,000 years after Jesus's story, when more people became interested in the Bible. Now he thinks the taboo is weakening as people embrace the number 13 more, and it is only a matter of time before it phases out.
Stevens said that he likes to think of the superstition around Friday the 13th as an example of magical thinking. He says that magical thinking is when someone believes is there is a causal relationship between two things that are otherwise unrelated. For example, Friday and 13 together take on a different quality when they fall on the same day.
He also said he thinks of it as a taboo, as superstition has a negative connotation, even when someone uses it to describe their own belief.
"The word taboo actually is appropriate for this kind of a superstition. Because it's the it's the term that means avoiding establishing a magical connection. People can actively work magic to make things happen, recognizing the connections between things, but if the connections between things could cause an unfortunate result, then people avoid those connections." Stevens said at the time.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Friday the 13th: Why people think it's unlucky
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
5 hours ago
- Fox News
UFC champion Jon Jones retires, Dana White says
MMA heavyweight champion Jon Jones is retiring from competition, UFC Chairman Dana White announced Saturday. Jones is considered the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. White says Jones informed the promotion of his decision to retire on Friday. By virtue of Jones' retirement, Tom Aspinall is now the undisputed heavyweight champion. Jones retires with a 28-1 record. "Jon Jones called us last night and retired," White said during a news conference in Azerbaijan. "Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC." Jones moved up from the light heavyweight division in 2023, capturing the vacant heavyweight championship over Ciryl Gane. Jones then defended the belt in a third-round TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November. Jones has been an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump over the last year. Jones performed Trump's signature dance after his win over Miocic in November. "A big, big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight," Jones said, which sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy. Then, Jones used the crowd's energy to start a "USA! USA!" chant, which they happily joined in for. "I'm proud to be a great American champion. I'm proud to be a Christian American champion," Jones added. That night, Jones even walked over to where Trump sat ringside with Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, sons Don Jr. and Eric, Kid Rick, Vivek Ramaswamy, singer Jelly Roll and others and handed him his UFC title belt. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Staggering Price Tag Of Krispy Kreme's Bougiest Custom-Made Donut
For many, Krispy Kreme is the go-to donut chain. It isn't just the delicious glazed donuts, but also the great pricing and convenient availability of Krispy Kreme donuts in grocery stores and other places beyond just a donut shop. However, something that most people don't know about Krispy Kreme is that the same chain known for its cheap donuts is also responsible for creating one of the most expensive donuts in the world. Back in May 2014, Krispy Kreme unveiled a one-of-a-kind golden donut in honor of National Doughnut Week. The donut was put on display in the Selfridges' Oxford Street store in the United Kingdom and had a price tag of nearly £1,000 (which is roughly $1,300 in today's dollars). Dubbed the "gold donut" by many, this unique treat remained on display for one day before it was given away to a makeup artist from London. Considering the donut ended up being presented to one lucky person as a gift at the end of the day, the price tag was mostly for show. Still, because of this, it went down in history as one of the most expensive desserts in the world. If nothing else, it was a fascinating spectacle done by one of the donut chain greats. Read more: The 9 Best Coffee Bean Brands For All Of Your Brewing Needs The reason why this singular donut cost so much is due to the many expensive ingredients that went towards its creation. The donut was filled with Dom Perignon 2002 vintage Champagne jelly and Chateau d'Yquem creme. To put things in perspective, a bottle of Dom Perignon 2002 alone retails for $175. The ingredients used for the donut's topping only added to its hefty price tag. On top of a passionfruit glaze was edible 24 karat gold, a series of handmade gold-dusted Belgian white chocolate decorations, and "edible diamonds." It isn't exactly clear what makes up that last ingredient, but apparently it only contributed to the donut's value. Last but not least, the serving platter. The donut was presented on top of a martini glass which was filled with 500-year-old Courvoisier de L'Esprit Cognac and even more Dom Perignon 2002. All in all, the golden donut took three whole days to assemble and Krispy Kreme only ever made one. Read the original article on Chowhound.
Buzz Feed
15 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Nick Cannon Forgets His Kids' Names: Fans React
Nick Cannon is no stranger to controversial parenting choices, and his most recent interview isn't helping his case. The media mogul is the proud father of 12 children: He shares 14-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with his ex-wife Mariah Carey; sons Golden Sagon (8) and Rise Messiah Cannon (2) and daughter Powerful Queen (4) with Brittany Bell; 3-year-old twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin (2) with Abby De La Rosa. He fathers son Legendary Love (2) with Bre Tiesi, and daughter Onyx Ice Cole (2) with LaNisha Cole. Nick also shares two children with Alyssa Scott — son Zen, who died at five months old in December 2021 after being diagnosed with brain cancer, and daughter Halo Marie Cannon (2). Earlier this week, during the latest episode of The Really Good Podcast with Bobbi Althoff, Nick was quizzed on his children's names, and, unfortunately, he didn't pass the test. The two discussed an array of topics, with one of them being fatherhood. Nick opened up about wanting to live like a king. Despite revealing he doesn't want to get married again, he revealed he'd rather enjoy multiple women and produce a court of children. "Why do you have so many kids?" Bobbi asked. "I always wanted a big family, but I come from an unorthodox family," replied Nick, who has four younger brothers. "I have a king complex. I really think I'm a king," he added. "Do kings have a lot of kids?" she questioned. "Yeah, that's their court. They enlarge their territory." To emphasize his comments, Nick told Bobbi the story of King Solomon from the Bible and explained how he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. "I don't want no wives, I just want more kids." But shortly after making that statement, The Masked Singer host added, "I think I'm done [having children]...I don't know what God and the universe have in store for me." Later on in the interview, Bobbi asked Nick about the names of his 12 offspring. "You want all 12 names?" he replied. "Right, this is usually where I get in trouble." Bobbi pondered, "Why 'cuz you don't know all of them?" To which Nick responded, "I know all of them, but when you label... Like, can you label or just rattle off 12 of anything?" Nick then challenged her to name 12 states, but Bobbi wanted him to ask her to name something more personal so that it would match him listing the names of his children. After a little back-and-forth, Nick finally responded: "There's Rock (Moroccan), Roe (Monroe), Golden, Powerful, Rise, Onyx, Legendary, Zion, Zillion, Zen, this is where many is that?" After a short pause, he concluded, "I'm missing two. Oh, yeah, did I say Beautiful? There's Beautiful and then there's Halo, my youngest." can watch the full interview below: What do you think of all this? Share your thoughts with me below!
