What is the meaning of Friday the 13th?

Answer

Friday the 13th occurs from one to three times per year when the 13th day of any month falls on a Friday. The fear of Friday the 13th is called “paraskevidekatriaphobia,” a term derived from the Greek words Paraskeví (Friday) and dekatreís (thirteen), combined with phobia (fear). Some individuals are so affected by paraskevidekatriaphobia that they avoid regular activities, and some decline to travel on that day. Friday the 13th is believed to be a day of unfortunate events, although the origins of such beliefs are uncertain. Consequently, various theories have been suggested about the source of the Friday the 13th superstition.

One theory suggests that it is a contemporary fusion of two older superstitions: that thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day. Merging two unlucky elements into one day would make it even more ominous, and so it has become. In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as seen in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., while the number thirteen was viewed as irregular, disrupting this completeness. There is also a superstition, believed by some to stem from the Last Supper, that having thirteen individuals seated at a table will lead to the death of one of the diners since Jesus was arrested and crucified after the Passover meal He shared with His twelve disciples (Matthew 26–27). The fact that He was crucified on a Friday also lends support to this theory.

Other theories concerning the origin of Friday the 13th involve a Norse myth related to Frigga, the independent goddess of love and fertility, whose name translates to “Friday.” When Christianity arrived in her land, Frigga was labeled as a witch and exiled to the mountains where, it was believed, she held a gathering with eleven other witches, pl

It is believed that the devil was summoned on Fridays to plan revenge and misfortune for the upcoming week. In Scandinavia, Friday was historically referred to as the “Witches’ Sabbath.”

Another theory regarding the superstition suggests that it originated from the arrest of the legendary Knights Templar, a monastic military order established in Jerusalem in A.D. 1119. Their primary objective was to safeguard Christian pilgrims during the Crusades. Due to their accumulation of wealth and influence, French King Philip IV covertly commanded the arrest of all Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307. This association between the superstition and the Knights Templar gained popularity through the 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code.

Certain individuals have exploited the unfounded fear of Friday the 13th for financial gain. The launch of specific books, movies, and music albums portraying mysticism or evil has been strategically timed to coincide with this day. For instance, the 13th book in A Series of Unfortunate Events was published on Friday, October 13, 2006, by Lemony Snicket (the pen name of novelist Daniel Handler). Black Sabbath’s debut album was released on a Friday the 13th in October 1970. While four out of the twelve films in the Friday the 13th series premiered on a Friday the 13th, the remaining eight were released on different dates, indicating that the specific day held little significance in terms of marketing. The movie 2012 hit theaters on Friday, November 13, 2009.

The fear associated with Friday the 13th is rooted in superstition and should not find a place in the beliefs of Christians. Those who are followers of Jesus Christ should not fear any day or date. They trust in the sovereignty of God, who governs all events in the universe and ensures that superstitions or human schemes cannot hinder His divine will and purpose. «calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it» (Isaiah 46:11).

t, I will also do it.” (Isaiah 46:11). Furthermore, paying attention to superstitions and old wives’ tales and basing our lives on them can create an opportunity for Satan, who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”, (1 Peter 5:8).