Why Friday 13th might not be so unlucky after all! People share good things that have happened to them on calendar’s most feared day
A fear of Friday the 13th, officially known as the tongue-twisting ‘paraskevidekatriaphobia’, can leave some batting down the hatches until the calendar clicks to the 14th.
The film franchise of the same name, featuring nerve-wracking masked character Jason, has done nothing to ease people’s phobias – and today’s ominous date, which falls just two weeks before Halloween, has seen social media flooded with anxious posts .
The superstitious can take a breather at midnight, there are only two Friday the 13th this year and the first was back in January.
Why did the Western world begin to fear any 13th in the calendar that fell on a Friday?
The date’s unfortunate associations are rooted in Norse mythology and the belief that the 13th person – Loki – who sat at a table of the gods, ruined the heavenly meeting and plunged the world into darkness.
13 October 2023 is the year’s last Friday the 13th – there was also one in January. The day traditionally associated with bad luck by the superstitious is actually a lucky day for many, as social media posts announcing lucky things that happened on it prove
However, for some people the number 13 only has happy associations, with people today sharing that they met the loves of their lives on Friday the 13th, or enjoyed a windfall.
Just after midnight this morning, one nature enthusiast posted beautiful images of the northern lights lighting up the night sky in Manitoba, Canada.
He wrote: ‘Some say #Friday13th is believed to be an unlucky day but not for me. I’m one happy and lucky guy here watching the #auroraborealis dance tonight.’
Love was in the air for this Twitter user, who wrote: ‘Friday the 13th – I met my husband on Friday the 13th – a lucky day for me.’
Another recalled: ‘Met a girl for our 1st date on a Friday the 13th. We got married on a Friday the 13th. Married almost 20 years now. 2 children. All worldly c*** aside, I’m a very lucky man! ‘
One person on Twitter is so confident in the number that they have been waiting for a big win, writing: ‘Friday the 13th, my favorite day, my lucky number! I’m buying a lottery ticket today.’
Another fan reported that a visit to the dentist saw them leave unscathed, writing: ‘The dentist just came out and no work to do…so now to celebrate with’ a few jelly beans. #Friday13th. lucky for some perhaps.’
One birthday girl had no choice but to embrace the date, writing: ‘As someone born on a Friday the 13th today will be my lucky day.’
Another fan of the date wrote: ‘Unfortunate for some BUT strangely (not surprisingly) 13 seems to be lucky for me and has been all my life. Happy Friday the 13th everyone.’
Knock it off: The highest and lowest property valuations by door number, according to Rightmove
A survey released this week revealed that houses number 13 have the lowest average value out of every door number from one to a 100.
Properties with the number 13 on their door have average values of £354,793, which is around £5,000 less than the average of 10 million homes analysed, numbered one to 100.
By contrast, properties with number one on their front door have the highest average value, at £393,690, which is £40,000, or around 11 per cent more than number 13s, according to Rightmove.