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We headed straight to the Superstitions > Friday the 13th category in Yahoo!, where we found several web sites that explored the history behind the day that made Jason and hockey masks infamous. We stopped first at UselessKnowledge.com, a site we've consulted on previous occasions. It claims the basis for this superstition stems from the events that took place on Friday, October 13, 1307. On that day, the Pope of the Roman Catholic church, in combination with the King of France, sentenced the "the Knights Templar" to death and ordered the torture and crucifixion of their leader. About.com's urban legend expert agrees that Western culture has considered Friday the 13th particularly unlucky for hundreds of years. The sixth day of the week has often been considered unlucky, as has the number 13. The combination, which occurs one to three times a year, leads to the inevitable superstition. He goes on to explain several other theories: - Some say the number 13 was purposely vilified by the priests of patriarchal religions because it represented femininity. Thirteen corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year, and the number was revered in prehistoric goddess-worshipping cultures.
- Hindus believed that it was unlucky for 13 people to gather in one
place. This conviction was shared by the ancient Scandinavians.
- Many biblical events of negative import supposedly occurred on a Friday, including the ejection of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, the start of the Great Flood, and the crucifixion of Jesus.
Like many legends and superstitions, the origin of Friday the 13th will always be subject to speculation. In the end, we take all the theories with a grain of salt (thrown over our left shoulder, of course).
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