Every now and then, the 13th day of a month happens to fall on a Friday, and lo and behold, you’re living on a Friday the 13th. For the skeptics and naysayers, this may be the butt of jokes, but for the faithful, walking on eggshells is the command they follow all day long. But what does Friday the 13th really mean? How has everyone come to call it, sarcastically or literally, an “unfortunate” overlap? Let’s take a look at some age-old traditions.

The debriefing

The exact origins of Friday the 13th cannot be determined with 100 percent certainty. But the tradition seems to have traveled through many seas and eras and continues to flicker strongly today. The first clue to the supposedly ominous nature of the number 13 can be found in Norse mythology, as explored in Charles Panati’s book Extraordinary origins of everyday things. The story goes that Loki, the God of Mischief, invaded Asgard’s majestic Valhalla during a banquet, bringing the number of attendees to 13. What followed was an unfortunate series of events where the blind God Hodr shot his brother Balder, the God of Light, Radiance, Joy, Purity, Peace, and Forgiveness, with an arrow, killing him instantly.

The domino effect of this reached Europe, with the energy of the number 13 being imbedded in one of the most testing passages of the Bible. The memorable Last Supper was held on a Thursday (now known as Maundy Thursday, in reference to the Last Supper). The 13th guest to arrive was none other than Judas Iscariot, the disciple who eventually betrayed Jesus. Jesus was crucified the following day, a Friday.

13 may be an unlucky day, but what about Fridays?

Mythologically speaking, Fridays don’t exactly rank high on the list of “luckier” days of the week. A CNN report lists an alarming array of indecent events that all occurred on a Friday. Whether it was Adam and Eve eating the forbidden apple, Cain murdering his brother Abel, or even the demolition of Solomon’s Temple — every single one of these events occurred on Fridays.

Mythology soon found its way into literary relics, further cementing the dubious reputation of Friday the 13th. The first known book to fictionally breathe life into the theme was Thomas William Lawson Friday, the thirteenth. First published in 1907, the book follows the manipulations of a New York City stockbroker who uses the fears surrounding the date to his own advantage. Speaking of movies, there’s no need to look beyond the 12-title strong Friday the 13th franchise. The first film came out in 1980, but the paranoia and tension that the slasher film created has had quite the lasting legacy, one that is still very much alive today.

It’s a matter of perception

If there’s one thing that the parallel stories of mythic retellings around the world have made clear, it’s that there are always two (or more) sides to a coin. In pagan culture, for example, Fridays are associated with nurturing feminine energies. Many even believe that the fifth day of the week called “Friday” is actually a reference to the Goddess Frigg (or Frigga), whose domain is love, marriage, and motherhood.

A similar, revered association can also be traced to Goddess Freyja, whose domains are love, fertility, and war. This reverence itself paints Fridays in a much more optimistic light, mythically speaking.

Not only this, the power of the number 13 has also been reflected in keynote art. Take for example the Venus of Laussel, on display at the Musée d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux, France. The 18.11-inch-high limestone relief of a nude woman is still considered a powerful symbol of fertility. The woman is depicted cradling her pregnant belly and lifting a horn with exactly 13 lines carved into it.

Fast forward to more contemporary times, could there be a bigger mascot for the number 13 than Taylor Swift? In fact, the pop icon even touched on it during an interview with Jay Leno in 2009. She said, “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. Every time I’ve won an award, I’ve been in the 13th chair, the 13th row, the 13th section or the M row, which is the 13th letter. Basically, any time I have a 13 in my life, it’s always good.”

While many laugh off the fears that come with Friday the 13th, for some the day can be a real ordeal. Consider paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is literally a morbid fear of the date, Friday the 13th.

Whatever you think of the date, we hope you enjoy it!