Another Friday the 13th is upon us, with all that entails for bad luck, ill fortune and scary superstition.
The date has such an ominous reputation it even spawned its own film franchise, which has run to 12 instalments since its inception in 1980.
But you don’t have to be stalked around Camp Crystal Lake by Jason Voorhees for this day to give you the willies.
Here’s a few facts about how often it occurs, when the next one will be and why it has such bad juju.
How often does Friday 13th occur?
Every year will have at least one Friday the 13th, and the most it can ever have is three.
Consecutive Friday the 13ths can occur in February and March provided it’s not a leap year.
The longest one can go without seeing a Friday the 13th is 14 months, after which there’s just no way of avoiding it.
For a month to have a Friday the 13th it has to start on a Sunday. Count it out on your fingers like we just did – it’s a fact.
How many are there in 2021?
Friday, August 13 is the only Friday the 13th in 2021.
And it will be same again in 2022, when the only Friday the 13th of the year will be in May.
Last year had two Friday the 13ths – one in November and another one in March.
Why don’t you check your diaries to see if anything unfortunate happened to you on either one of those days?
Where does it get its reputation from?
Many believe the superstition started in the Middle Ages and is rooted in the crucifixion.
After all, Jesus Christ was betrayed on a Friday and there were 13 people at the Last Supper.
Some also believe the day found its origins in 1307 when King Philip IV of France tortured and burned alive hundreds of Templar Knights.
Fear of Friday the 13th even has its own name – Friggatriskaidekaphobia. Frigga is the Norse goddess after which Friday is named, while triskaidekaphobia means a fear of the number thirteen.
And there are plenty of things that have happened on this date to make you think it is indeed cursed – not least the fact that Fidel Castro and Margaret Thatcher were both born on one.
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