Why is 13th considered unlucky

Sitting nearby is Niall Johnstone, who thinks the whole idea is a joke. Not everyone is so relaxed about it. In the shadow of the cathedral I find a woman who does believe, even though her sceptical companions cast their doubts. Friday and the number 13 have always been unlucky in their own right, says Steve Roud, author of The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

To further compound the chance of peril, an urban legend started circulating sometime in the s that it was unlucky to have 13 people around a table or in a group, he explains. Folklorist Anne Marie Lagram - herself a "strong believer" - says theories behind "unlucky 13" include the number of people present at the Last Supper or the number of witches to make a coven.

But it was the Victorians who put the two together, says the author of the Country Wisdom and Folklore Diary. There are numerous well-known superstitions, involving black cats, ladders and cracks in the pavement. But where does the sense of foreboding come from? For example, Ms Marin - ever the cautious - makes sure to complete a ritual if she sees a black cat. Many superstitions are to do with the idea of upsetting the order of the world, says Mr Roud. It's the same with shoes on the table - they belong on the floor.

Some stay in our minds as they have become part of our language, he adds. Superstitions are learned from other people and persist because they are as good as any other strategy in situations beyond our control, says Michael Aitkin, psychology lecturer at Kings College London. These personal superstitions are common among people who have dangerous jobs or those that leave a lot to chance, says Mr Roud.

Indeed, some footballers are slaves to ridiculous rituals. Judas, who betrayed Jesus Christ, is thought to have been the 13th guest to sit down to the Last Supper. And even today 13 people sitting at a dinner table is considered unlucky.

When it comes to Friday, a series of events and traditions have led people to believe that the day is not quite auspicious. Many sailors would begin their voyage on Good Friday for it was believed to bring them luck. The superstition has also made its way into pop culture with movies like Friday the 13th. It was here that the unsettling power of the numerals was cemented through the story of the Last Supper, which was attended by Jesus Christ and his disciples on Maundy Thursday.

The 13th and most infamous guest to arrive, Judas Iscariot, was the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on Good Friday. Hundreds of the Knights Templar were arrested on October 13, , and many were later executed.

Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" popularized the erroneous theory this is the original of the Friday the 13th superstition. In Biblical tradition, the concept of unlucky Fridays, stretches back even further than the crucifixion: Friday is said to be the day that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge; the day Cain murdered his brother, Abel; the day the Temple of Solomon was toppled; and the day Noah's ark set sail in the Great Flood.

It wasn't until the 19th century, however, that Friday 13th became synonymous with misfortune: As Steve Roud explains in "The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland," the combination of Friday and the number 13 is a Victorian invention.

In , the publication of Thomas W. Lawson's popular novel "Friday, the Thirteenth" captured the imagination with its tale of an unscrupulous broker who took advantage of the superstitions around the date to deliberately crash the stock market.

In the s, superstition went pop with the launch of the "Friday the 13th" slasher franchise, starring hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees. Credit: Alamy. Fast forward to the s, and a hockey-masked killer by the name of Jason Voorhees in the slasher flick franchise "Friday the 13th" ensured notoriety.

Then came Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code," which helped popularize the incorrect claim that the superstition originated with the arrests of hundreds of members of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, An alternative history. Given the mass of doom-laden lore, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Friday 13th is indeed ominous.

If we dig deeper, though, we also find evidence that both Fridays and the number 13 have long been regarded as a harbinger of good fortune. In pagan times, for instance, Friday was believed to have a unique association with the divine feminine. The first clue can actually be found in the weekday name Friday, which is derived from Old English and means "day of Frigg.

Frigg gave protection to homes and families, maintained social order, and could weave fate as she did the clouds. She also possessed the art of prophecy, and could bestow or remove fertility.