What is Friday the 13th? Know about Paraskevidekatriaphobia, funny memes and more

Friday, the 13th is that day on the calendar, which is primarily considered to be an unlucky or inauspicious day. There are several stories and theories that are linked with Friday the 13th, saying how and why all things unlucky came into being.

The fear attached to the number 13 is called 'triskaidekaphobia', and the paranoia which is linked with Friday the 13th is known as 'Paraskevidekatriaphobia'.

What is Friday the 13th?

This day has various unfortunate stories and events attached to it, and one of the most famous and one of the oldest theories of all time comes from Christianity. It is believed that the night before Jesus was crucified, the "Last Supper" was attended by 13 people on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter).

According to the gospels, the 13th person at the table was Judas Iscariot, who was one of the closest disciples of Jesus who betrayed him for only thirty silver pieces, leading to his crucifixion on the day that was Friday. However, there are various other unfortunate and tragic events that have occurred on this day in history.

Unlucky incidents that happened on Friday the 13th

As per reports, the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II occurred on Friday the 13th. A 13-year-old girl in England was struck by lightning on Friday the 13th at exactly 1:13 pm. The members of the Knights Templar were also believed to have been arrested and executed on the 13th of 1307. It is also believed that all public hangings during ancient times were carried out on Fridays.

Superstitious beliefs related to the number 13

Although it may sound illogical, the number 13 is avoided in many instances. For example, there are several buildings that have no 13th floor, and there is also no 13th floor in hospitals as well. For the unversed, the number 13 is believed to be so unlucky that it was not used in "Formula One" between the years 1977 and 2013. Moreover, on this day, superstitious individuals also avoid black cats, umbrellas, new shoes, ladders, birds, cracks, mirrors, salt, tables, and cemeteries. 

Friday 13 funny memes

Meanwhile, there are several people who don't believe in any of the superstitious beliefs related to Friday the 13th and make fun of all the "illogical" stories and theories that are related to this day. To ease your superstitious stress we have added some of the funniest memes that are surfacing on social media sites related to Friday the 13th.

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