Friday the 13th... Mark your calendars. (Credit: Bigstock)
A day of good luck for some, bad luck for others, superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th thrive in France against a backdrop of beliefs and phobias. According to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by La Française des Jeux (FDJ) in 2022, Friday the 13th is synonymous with good luck for one in five French people. For a handful of superstitious people, anxiety rises as the day approaches, victims of "Triskaidekaphobia," a term derived from the Greek words paraskevi (Friday), dekateria (13) and phobos (phobia).
"Friday is a day of misfortune in countries with a Christian tradition, since it's the day Christ died," explained anthropologist Dominique Desjeux, Professor Emeritus at Paris-V University.
"On the other hand, at the Last Supper the day before, he was accompanied by his 12 apostles, giving rise to the idea of a bad omen announced by the presence of 13 guests," he added.
Many events have taken place on a Friday the 13th, leaving more of a mark on the collective imagination than those that occurred on Friday the 14th.
On Friday, Oct. 13, 1307, Philippe le Bel had the Knights Templar arrested and tortured, an episode that would destroy the order. More recently, there was the sinking of the Costa Concordia on Jan. 13, 2012, and the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks in Paris.
13 million euros
Numerologist Evelyne Lehnoff observed "an increase in consultations" on this date, her clients being "more open to the announcements" of the tarot, although, according to her, this day remains "neutral" in numerology.
"In numerology, 13 is equivalent to 4 [1+3] and is neither positive nor negative, but a symbol of transformation and new situations," she explained. "I consider this day to be favorable for money manna," she added.
In France, thanks to an intense National Lottery campaign launched in the 1930s in favor of war invalids, the bad luck of Friday the 13th has turned into a day of good fortune.
"It's an ancient mechanism, the transmutation of bad into good through inversion rites," explained Dominique Desjeux, a specialist in beliefs and rites.
Since the 2000s, the FDJ has offered an exceptional Super Loto every Friday the 13th, with a jackpot of 13 million euros. The FDJ reports that "two to three times as many people play on a Friday the 13th as for a traditional Loto draw."
No wedding and no trip
In Finland, the authorities take advantage of this dreaded day in the calendar to organize an annual national campaign against road accidents (Tapaturmapäivä-kampanjaa). For 2024, it will take place this Friday.
In the U.S., it is traditionally the day of tattoo artists, a tradition that dates back to superstitious sailors and is accompanied by promotions.
But some countries escape this superstition or mark a completely different date in their folklore to purge anxieties, beliefs and gambling.
In Italy, the evil superstition strikes on Friday the 17th, XVII [in Roman numerals] being the anagram of VIXI, the Latin word for "I have lived."
In Spain and Latin America, Friday the 13th is actually Tuesday the 13th. A popular saying reminds us that, on this day, one should plan "no travel and no marriage."
In East Asia, the fourth day of the month is associated with bad luck, a very common superstition, particularly in China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea.
In 2024, there will be only two Friday 13ths, in September and December. In 2025, there will be just one Friday the 13th, in June, while in 2026 there will be three.
Daphné ROUSSEAU/AFP
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour.
