Friday the 13th is fast approaching, and contrary to prevailing opinion, it could be your breakout day. But don’t take my word for it – find out for yourself by celebrating the obscure holiday known as “Defy Superstition Day.” It comes around every Sept. 13, not just on a Friday, to remind us that we needn’t be too serious about some of the old wives’ tales that many still believe.
In fact, according to the magazine Psychology Today, a Gallup poll found that some 25 percent of Americans identify as superstitious. Most authorities say superstitions evolved from fear of the unknown and a desire to please whatever forces bring good or bad luck. But they also note that some illogical beliefs have a practical side: Walking under a ladder carries obvious risks.
As for breaking mirrors and then enduring seven years of bad luck, ancients believed a mirror carried portions of one’s soul that would be injured by the damage. Opening an umbrella inside the house is a bad-luck taboo whose origins have been traced to ancient Egypt (yes, they had parasols then), where using them indoors was considered offensive to the sun god.
One website says it has polled people in every state to determine which is the most common superstition there. The results for Rhode Island can literally be taken with a grain (or more) of salt. That’s the belief that if you spill salt you’re in for bad luck unless you scoop some of it up and throw it over your shoulder. The “reasoning” is that the spill prompts the devil to lurk behind you, so salt tossed backward will get into his eyes and blind him.
The origins of the Sept. 13 “holiday” are obscure, but some credit its creation around 1987 to Tom Fernsler, a now-retired University of Delaware mathematician. He encouraged people to spend the day confronting and upending superstitions, especially those related to the bad-luck number 13 (there were 13 people at the Last Supper).
How widespread is superstition? In a University magazine interview, Fernsler once said, “Eighty-seven percent of all the people in the world are superstitious about something. The other 13 percent are liars.”
The broader lesson of Defy Superstition Day may have nothing to do with superstition at all – maybe it’s a chance to think about the borders of our comfort zones and the value of occasionally stepping outside them.
But that’s getting esoteric. As a a modest beginning, enjoy this enlightening “holiday” – maybe by taking a risk and daring to open an umbrella inside the house. You’ll have no bad luck at all – and to make sure of that, I’m crossing my fingers and knocking on wood.
Friday the 13th's Origins
Friday the 13th's reputation for misfortune dates back centuries, and superstitions about Friday the 13th live on in modern day, propelled by Stephen King’s horror writing, a slasher film franchise and Americans’ general aversion to the number 13, according to researchers. There is a Friday the 13th coming this week. Here’s a look at the history of the superstition — and why there’s no reason to be spooked.
Friday the 13th Rooted in the Bible?
Superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th may be rooted in the Bible. At The Last Supper, 13 people were seated at the table — Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples. The 13th guest to arrive at the table is said to be Judas, the man who betrayed Christ, per the BBC. The Last Supper was on a Thursday. On Friday, Christ was crucified.
“So 13 is associated with that terrible event. And Friday, the 13th you get a double whammy. You get both of these elements coming together: the taboo against 13, and the crucifixion, which was on a Friday,” Phil Stevens, a retired anthropology professor from the University at Buffalo, told USA Today last year.
Friday: A Shift in Perception
Friday is known to many modern people as the start of the weekend and therefore the best day of the week. Songs have been written hailing Friday as the gateway to a couple days off work (“Friday I’m in Love,” “Friday on My Mind,” “Finally Friday”). But Friday once had a dark reputation. During the 19th century, Friday was considered the unluckiest day of the week, per the BBC. It earned the nickname “Hangman Friday” because those condemned to death were typically hanged on Friday.
“In nineteenth-century America, there was a widespread belief that Friday was an unlucky time to start a new piece of work or to embark on any ventures,” per “Executing Magic in the Modern Era: Criminal Bodies and the Gallows in Popular Medicine.”
“In sympathetic association with the fate of the criminal on the gallows, any work begun (on Friday) would never be finished.”
The Number 13: Taylor Swift’s Lucky Number?
During her rise to stardom, Taylor Swift touted why 13 is her lucky number —a number considered by many to signify bad luck. “I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first No. 1 song had a 13-second intro,” Swift said, per Fox News. “Every time I’ve won an award I’ve been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter.”
Triskaidekaphobia: Fear of the Number 13
Many Americans cannot get behind Swift’s lucky number 13. An estimated 10% of Americans suffer from triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number 13, per History.
Additionally, more than 80% of high-rise buildings in the United States omit the 13th floor. Hotels, hospitals and airports avoid using the number for rooms and gates, as well.
“It’s funny because except for one or two hotels I’ve worked for in my 20-plus years in the industry, there is never a 13th floor,” Grand Hyatt Nashville Area general manager Marc Sternagel told USA Today last year. “Some people take it to an extreme. One hotel in New York City didn’t even have 13 as a room number. Here we do, but the floor itself is gone. Just to make sure we don’t freak anybody out.”
Is Friday the 13th Really Unlucky?
Although fear of the number 13 is widespread in the U.S., data shows there is no real backing for the phobia. “No data exists, and will never exist, to confirm that the number 13 is an unlucky number,” said Igor Radun of the Human Factors and Safety Behavior Group at the University of Helsinki’s Institute of Behavioural Sciences in Finland, per Live Science. “There is no reason to believe that any number would be lucky or unlucky.”
No, Friday the 13th is just as unlucky (or lucky) as any other day.
Scientific Study Debunks Friday the 13th Superstition
A 2015 study from Kyklos, a peer-reviewed journal of social sciences, set out to uncover if there is any truth behind Friday the 13th myths.
Researchers studied quality of life outcomes of individuals born on the 13th of the month or Friday the 13th. They were compared to roughly 120,000 individuals born on the 12th or 14th. Researchers looked at each individual’s probability of being employed, hourly wage and probability of remaining single.
Were those born on Friday the 13th more unlucky? “We found no effect,” said Jan Fidrmuc, one of the study’s authors, per The New York Times. “There is nothing to the superstition.”
Embrace the Fear: Friday the 13th Events
So, with no scientific evidence to support the fear of Friday the 13th, why do people still get spooked? Maybe it’s the thrill of the unknown, or the desire to embrace a bit of harmless fun. Whatever the reason, Friday the 13th continues to inspire events and celebrations around the world.
Celebrate Friday the 13th at Blue Island Beer Co.
A special event to celebrate and enjoy Friday the 13th in September will be held on that day at Blue Island Beer Co. (BIBC), 13357 Olde Western Ave., in Blue Island, from 5 to 10 p.m.
Camp Scarefest: A Friday the 13th Celebration
A major organizer for the event is Carrie Minet-Been, the owner of Moonlight BEEN. Until a few years ago, she operated the “curiosity and monster shoppe” in Crestwood, and she now offers her wares mainly through craft shows and appearances at special events. She also offers craft workshops at venues on the South Side and in the suburbs.
Minet-Been is a fan of vintage horror movies, and she said the inspiration and theme for the Friday the 13th event comes from that, not from superstitions about the day itself.
“My first take on Friday the 13th was the horror movie; as a young kid, I really wasn’t brought up with superstitions, but I learned about them from other people as I got older,” said Minet-Been. “I’m not superstitious. As I get older, I kind of believe some of them, but I’m not going to let it stop me from doing things. But, first and foremost, I grew up watching all those scary movies.”
According to Minet-Been, the September event is billed as a “ScareFest and Spooky Market.” It will have the theme of attending summer camp, like the original Friday the 13th movie. The name of Minet-Been’s camp is “Camp Scarefest.”
Monster Props, Photo Ops, and More
Upon entering the camp, the first interactive opportunity for attendees will be a photo op with Jason, the hockey masked antagonist of the movie franchise, here a life-sized “monster prop” created by Minet-Been’s husband, David Been. Other monster props, including werewolves and witches, will be there for more photo ops, and a live Jason will also make appearances.
Camp Scarefest will include vendors such as Moonlight BEEN, The Crawlspace and a dozen others; food vendors including Bizarro and Son from the Rock Island Public House; tarot card and palm readings; a tattoo artist; and a caricaturist.
Entertainment at Camp Scarefest
There will also be entertaining “performance art” throughout the camp. Special guests will include the Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby, which operates out of Homewood, the Windy City Ghostbusters, and Killdare Haunted City.
The Windy City Ghostbusters, based on the movie “Ghostbusters,” will present activities to raise money for LaRabida Children’s Hospital. The Killdare Haunted City, an “old school” haunted house amusement in Bridgeview, will conduct a “Scream Queen” contest hosted by one of its performers, Lil Horror Girl, and “scary-oke” featuring Peach, a Killdare performer.
The Camp Scarefest team has also created games, all with horror-movie themes, that attendees can participate in to win prizes. The games include Bucket of Blood, based on the movie “Carrie,” and Dead Ringer.
Unofficial Kickoff to Halloween
BIBC will have its craft beers and cocktails available for sale. Alan Cromwell, owner of BIBC, said he is happy to host the Friday the 13th event, and he enjoys working with Minet-Been.
“This is the second time we’re working with Carrie after we were introduced to her via Johnny Streetz of the Streetz Artz Alliance,” said Cromwell. “Carrie does a great job of connecting some of the best people for an event like this, so it’s going to have a lot of fun facets, especially being centered around the spookier aspects of the day.”
The Streetz Artz Alliance, a coalition of 350 artists and crafters who participate in craft shows held at local breweries, headed by John Streetz, worked with Minet-Been and Cromwell last December for another alternative event at BIBC, this one based on Krampus, the creature in Eastern European mythology that punishes children at Christmastime.
Cromwell confirmed that they will hold that event again this year on Dec. 8 at the BIBC. Minet-Been is also in the beginning stages of planning another Friday the 13th event for December, with location and details pending.
Tickets and More Information
For the September event, a limited amount of presale tickets are available at $8 and $13, which include “hag bags” with commemorative pins, raffle tickets for raffle baskets and, for the $13 ticket, game tickets.
Regular tickets on the day of the event will be $5 at the door, children under 12 free, with purchase of game and raffle tickets inside the camp. The link for information and tickets can be found on Facebook.
The Adrenalin Rush of Fear
According to marketing researchers, events such as this are popular because people love the adrenalin rush of being “scared” while still knowing it’s a pretense from which they can safely escape. Minet-Been wants people to “enjoy the spookiness all year round.” Although Friday the 13th is not connected to Halloween, this year, Cromwell said, it’s a good start.
“Because of its timing in September,” Cromwell said, “Friday the 13th is a good unofficial kickoff for the spooky season of October and Halloween.” Although Cromwell isn’t superstitious, he said he’s into having fun.
“Friday the 13th is one of those fun folklore things,” he said, “that just add to the variety in life.”
Friday the 13th: A Day of Fear or Fun?
So, whether you believe in the superstition or not, Friday the 13th is a day that sparks conversations, ignites imagination, and reminds us that sometimes, the most fun things in life are the ones that make us a little bit afraid. So, embrace the fear, and have a happy Friday the 13th!
