When The Next Friday the 13th Is

For over one hundred years, the western superstition of Friday the 13^th has instilled fear in the hearts of the many who believe in it. The date has influenced the tradition of getting themed tattoos at a discounted rate and it inspired a 19^th century secret society as well as an entire slasher horror movie franchise. While the origins of the superstition about the 13^th day of the month occurring on a Friday are relatively unknown, the fear of the number itself has been around for centuries. In the year 2020, the next Friday the 13^th will take place in November.

When the date rolls around, celebrations may take place, others may look to the sky waiting for an anvil to drop, and some will watch Sean S. Cunningham’s 1980 slasher horror film, Friday The 13^th. Undoubtedly, the date is a divisive one, to say the least, as there is even a phobia of it called triskaidekaphobia. In Western society, the number 12 has stood as a numerical symbol of completion with 12 months in a year and 12 zodiac signs. Its successor symbolizes fear, penalization, and even death.

With such ominous symbolism, it falls under one of the horror genre’s celebratory dates along with Halloween’s October 31^st. The date itself is enough to cause fear as well as the slasher icon Jason Voorhees who was born of it. As the Earth continues to rotate, the months that begin on a Sunday will always find their 13^th day on a Friday. It will never disappear, nor will its history.

The History Of Friday The 13^th

The history of fearing the 13^th goes back to biblical times with the seating arrangement of the Last Supper. There were 13 people at the table including Jesus, the following day he was crucified. In Christian belief, the number represents a bad omen that foretells death. While Friday has lesser known origins, it is believed to be the day of the week that Jesus was crucified and the day that Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, as well as when Cain killed his brother, Abel. Regardless of biblical belief, indisputable occurrences such as the formation of the Thirteen Club who celebrated the date.

The organization formed during the late 19^th century in New York and sought to remove the stigma of Friday the 13^th. They held a 13-course meal on the 13^th date of every month at Knickerbocker Cottage in room 13. When entering the room, members (including four former presidents) walked under a ladder with a banner that reads “Morituri te Salutamus”, which translates from Latin to “Those of us who are about to die salute you”. Among this organization, a plethora of tragic events throughout history have taken place on Friday the 13^th.

September 13, 1940, the German bombing of Buckingham Palace took place, the death of Tupac Shakur occurred on September 13, 1996, and a Costa Concordia cruise ship crashed off the coast of Italy, which killed 30 people on January 13, 2012. These are only three of various events that have attributed to the growing superstition of Friday the 13^th. The next date on the calendar is November 13, 2020, and there is no telling what the day will bring but, with fingers crossed, hopefully it brings more good than harm.

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