Friday the 13th is notorious for bad luck. A notable exemplar is Friday, March 13th, 2020, when many schools shut down due to the global COVID-19 outbreak. Coincidence? Well, probably.
The history of the superstition is full of uncertainty. Some trace it back to the Last Supper, where 13 guests attended: Jesus and the 12 disciples. The next day was Jesus’ crucifixion—Good Friday.
Others believe the superstition originates from the arrests of hundreds of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13th, 1307. The Templars were imprisoned, and many were later executed, by order of King Philip IV of France.
Of course, the 1980 horror movie Friday the 13th is a milestone in the superstition’s history. Everyone knows the hockey-mask wearing pop culture phenomenon. Through blood and screams, Jason perpetuated the superstition all over the world.
There will be a Friday the 13th whenever the month starts on a Sunday. This year, it shows up on the calendar twice. The first is, well, today. And then, 28 days later, it’ll happen again in March. Of course, this is because February has exactly 4 weeks (so long as it’s not a leap year), and thus the following month is guaranteed to follow the same pattern, but you’re free to believe whatever you want.
