Friday marks the first Friday the 13th of 2020.
In a week full of headlines from election primaries to the spreading coronavirus, many on social media platforms are joking about what tomorrow may bring.
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The origin of Friday the 13th's supposed ill-luck could stem from a religious background, according to History.com. Thirteen has long been considered an unlucky number since the biblical tradition of the Last Supper. Thirteen guests were seated around the table, 12 disciples and Jesus. The disciple Judas betrayed Jesus, and the next day Jesus was crucified.
"The seating arrangement at the Last Supper is believed to have given rise to a longstanding Christian superstition that having 13 guests at a table was a bad omen — specifically, that it was courting death." — History.com editors
Friday is also a significant day because it was the day of Jesus’ death. Some traditions say Friday was the day Eve gave Adam the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, as well as the day Cain killed his brother, Abel.
There are other secular nods to the unlucky digits. Many consider 12 to be an “ideal” number, and 13 just throws it off balance. There are 12 zodiac signs, 12 hours on a clock face, 12 gods of Olympus and 12 pairs of ribs in the average human.
Pop culture slasher films in the 1980s truly cemented the sinister nature of when the 13th falls on a Friday.
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Nowadays, Friggatriskaidekaphobics (those who fear Friday the 13th) are quick to point out historical tragedies that have occurred on this day.
Buckingham Palace was bombed during World War II on a Friday the 13th.
On Friday, March 13, 1964, one of the most notorious murders to date happened in New York City that has since been used in psychology classrooms to illustrate the "Bystander Effect."
Through the years, there have been unlucky Friday the 13th bushfires (Australia in 1939), cyclones (Bangladesh in 1970) and unseasonable blizzards (New York in 2006), according to Live Science.
Of course, this Friday will be just another day. Statistics have shown that a Friday that falls on the 13th isn't that unlucky after all — for example, fewer fatal aviation crashes occur on this day than on average, according to a report by Aviation Safety News.
Nevertheless, in a week such as this, many superstitious social media users are using the opportunity to joke about what else could happen.
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Stay safe out there, and happy Friday the 13th!
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