Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky? The history of the superstitious date
The historical reason Friday the 13th is considered superstitious
- The first Friday the 13th of 2026 has arrived, a date widely associated with bad luck, with this year featuring three such dates in February, March, and November.
- The superstition is commonly believed to originate from the Last Supper, where 13 individuals, including Jesus and his betrayer Judas Iscariot, were present before Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday.
- Another historical theory traces the bad luck to King Philip IV of France's arrest of hundreds of Knights Templar on Friday, 13 October 1307.
- The Knights Templar were apprehended under false allegations, tortured, and many were later burnt at the stake, with their Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, reportedly cursing his persecutors.
- The irrational fear of this date is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, while other cultures consider different dates unlucky, such as Tuesday the 13th or Friday the 17th.
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