The real history of Friday the 13th
Published October 13, 2023 at 10:33 am
Friday the 13th strikes fear in the superstitious and prompts a motorcycle ride in Ontario but what is the history of the day?
The day is considered unlucky in Canada and the U.S. and usually Friday the 13th happens at least once every calendar year.
Some say the notorious day goes back to a Norse myth about 12 gods who had a dinner at Valhalla, which was interrupted by a 13th guest, the evil and mischievous god Loki. According to legend, Loki tricked Höðr into shooting his brother Baldr. After that 13 was seen as unlucky.
Other theories note the prevalence of the number 12. There are 12 months in the Gregorian calendar, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 Gods of Olympus, 12 successors of Muhammad in Shia Islam, 12 tribes of Israel. In Christianity, Judas betrayed Jesus, one of his 12 Apostles and the 13th guest to arrive for the Last Supper.
So 12 is often seen as a complete number and 13 is odd and unlucky.
The superstition extends to everyday life. The 13th floor is skipped in many high-rise buildings and some airlines do not have a 13th row on their planes.
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One of the first references of Friday the 13th as an unlucky day in recent history came in the 1907 novel Friday, the Thirteenth by T. W. Lawson.
The novel follows the story of a stockbroker who takes advantage of the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th to create a panic on Wall Street.
But there is also the notion that Last Supper was on a Thursday, and the next day was Friday, the day of crucifixion, according to Phillips Stevens, Jr., associate professor of anthropology at the University at Buffalo.
Friday was also considered an unlucky day to start a journey or new project since at least the 14th century, as described by Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet and author.
So is Friday the 13th really unlucky? Not according to a Life Science article that finds while there are some studies showing more accidents on the day, it is more likely a reflection of how people’s superstitions influence their behaviour.
And a 2012 American Journal of Emergency Medicine study found there are no more accidents on Friday the 13th than any other day.
In Ontario, however, there may be more road accidents due to an increased number of motorcycle riders on the roads.
Every Friday the 13th motorcyclists head to Port Dover for a motorcycle rally. And on warm days attendance can exceed 100,000 bikers. The OPP regularly warns drivers to be cautious because of this rally.
The rally reportedly started in 1981 with a group of about 25 friends to take a ride to the Commercial Hotel in Port Dover.
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