Published on
updated on
Reading 2 min.
A lucky day for some, unlucky for others, superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th thrive in France against a backdrop of beliefs and phobias.
According to a study conducted by La Française des Jeux (FdJ) in 2022 among 2,000 people, Friday the 13th is synonymous with luck for one in five French people.
For a handful of superstitious people, anxiety mounts as the day approaches, victims of “paraskevidekatriaphobia”, a difficult-to-pronounce term that comes from the Greek words “paraskevi” (Friday), “dekateria” (thirteen) and “phobos” (phobia).
“Friday is a day of misfortune in countries with a Christian tradition, since it is the day of Christ’s death.“, explains to AFP anthropologist Dominique Desjeux, professor emeritus at the University of Paris-V.
“On the other hand, the day before, during the Last Supper, he was accompanied by his Twelve Apostles and from there was born the idea of a bad omen announced by the presence of thirteen diners.” he adds.
There are a number of events that happened on Friday the 13th that have left a greater mark on the collective imagination than those that happened on Friday the 14th.
Thus, on Friday, October 13, 1307, Philip the Fair had the Templars arrested and tortured, an episode which would destroy the order.
More recently, there was the sinking of the Costa Concordia on January 13, 2012 and the attacks of November 13, 2015 in Paris.
13 million euros
Numerologist Evelyne Lehnoff observes “an increase in consultations“at that date, its customers being”more open to announcements“tarot, although, according to her, this day remains “neutral” in numerology.
“In numerology, 13 is equivalent to 4 (1+3, Editor’s note) and is neither positive nor negative, but a symbol of transformation and new situations.” she explains.
“I consider this day as auspicious for money windfalls.” she adds.
In France, thanks to an intense campaign by the National Lottery launched in the 1930s in favour of war invalids, the bad luck of Friday the 13th turned into a lucky day.
“We see this in all societies, it is an ancient mechanism, that of the transmutation of the harmful into the good thanks to inversion rites.“, explains Dominique Desjeux, 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. And it told AFP that it observed “two to three times more games taken for a Friday the 13th than for a classic Loto draw“.
Feeling good in your body, feeling good in your head!
“No wedding, no trip”
In Finland, authorities take advantage of this dreaded day in the calendar to organize a national campaign against road accidents (Tapaturmapäivä-kampanjaa) every year. It will take place this Friday for 2024.
In the United States, it is traditionally that of tattooists, 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 games of chance.
In Italy, the evil superstition strikes on Friday the 17th, XVII (in Roman numerals, editor’s note) being an anagram of VIXI, the Latin word for “I have lived.”
In Spain and Latin America, Friday the 13th is actually Tuesday the 13th. The popular saying goes that on this day, “no travel, no marriage“.
In East Asia, the 4th of the month is associated with bad luck, a very common superstition, especially in China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea.
In 2024, there will be only two Friday the 13ths, in September and December. 2025 will have only one Friday the 13th, in June, while 2026 will have three.