Friday the 13th is a day that many people dread. It is considered to be an unlucky day in Western superstition, and there are many stories and myths surrounding it.
One theory for the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition is that it is related to the Christian religion. In the Bible, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Jesus was also crucified on a Friday.
Another theory is that the superstition is related to Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, there were 12 gods who had a dinner party in Valhalla. The trickster god Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the 13th guest and arranged for Höðr to shoot Balder with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Balder died, and the whole Earth got dark.
The superstition surrounding Friday the 13th may also be related to the Knights Templar. In 1307, on a Friday the 13th, King Philip IV of France arrested hundreds of Knights Templar on charges of heresy. Many of the Knights Templar were later tortured and executed.
The superstition surrounding Friday the 13th became more popular in the 19th century. In 1869, Thomas Hood wrote a poem called "Friday the Thirteenth." In the poem, Hood describes a number of unlucky events that happen on Friday the 13th.
In the 20th century, the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th was further popularized by the horror movie franchise Friday the 13th. The first Friday the 13th movie was released in 1980 and it introduced the world to Jason Voorhees, a hockey mask-wearing killer who stalks and murders teenagers on Friday the 13th.
Today, Friday the 13th is still considered to be an unlucky day by many people. Some people avoid making important decisions or doing dangerous activities on Friday the 13th. Others simply try to be extra careful on this day.
There are many stories of strange and terrifying things happening on Friday the 13th. Some people claim to have seen ghosts or other supernatural creatures on this day. Others have reported having bad luck, such as getting into accidents or losing their jobs.
One particularly disturbing story comes from a small town in the United States. On Friday the 13th, in 1980, a group of teenagers went camping in the woods outside of town. They never returned. The next day, their bodies were found scattered throughout the woods. They had all been murdered.
The police never caught the killer, and the murders remain a mystery to this day. But some people believe that the killer was Jason Voorhees, the fictional serial killer from the Friday the 13th movies.
Friday the 13th is a day that can be scary for many people, even those who don't believe in superstition. It's a day that's been associated with bad luck and misfortune for centuries, and it's hard not to feel a little uneasy when the day finally arrives.
But it's important to remember that Friday the 13th is just another day. It's not like the world is going to end or anything. If you're feeling scared or anxious, just try to take a deep breath and relax. Remind yourself that everything is going to be okay.