Long considered a omen of bad luck, Friday the 13th gets a bad rap and has been the inspiration of a late 19th-century secret society, an early 20th-century novel, a horror film franchise with a guy in dirty mask, and not one but two unwieldy terms for phobias —paraskavedekatriaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia—that describe fear of this supposedly unlucky day.
While folklore says it’s tough to pinpoint exactly how the taboo came to be, many believe it originates from the Last Supper and the 13 guests who sat at the table on the day before the Friday on which Jesus was crucified.
But did you know that In Spanish-speaking countries, instead of Friday, Tuesday the 13th (martes trece) is considered a day of bad luck? Greek culture also considers Tuesday (and especially the 13th) an unlucky day. Tuesday is considered dominated by the influence of Ares, the god of war (Mars in Roman mythology).
