God! Friday the 13th – Great tragedy is about to happen!
It comes at least once a year, at worst three times: we’re talking about Friday the 13th. According to popular belief, this day represents bad luck. What is superstition, and do accidents really happen?
Appearance and Meaning
Paraskavedekatriaphobia – This term describes the fear of the Monster Friday the 13th. The exact origin is unclear. But there are clues that point to its current meaning. Most are based on historical events. ► Count: 13 is considered an unlucky number as 12 breaks the system. Examples: A day has twice twelve hours, Jesus gathered twelve disciples around him, a dozen is a common unit of measurement. Evil 13 disrupts this order.
► Day: In Christianity, Friday is considered a day of mourning and fasting. Jesus was crucified on a Friday. It is commemorated on Good Friday.
► Two images fueled fears of a demonic mark: Richard Oswald’s 1916 “Friday the 13th” is about the death of an entire family that day. In the 1944 film of the same name written by Erich Engels, the day of the accident is deeply embedded in people’s memory.
► October 13, 1307 FridayThe Christian order of the Knights Templar was banned throughout France and its members were persecuted.
► Friday, February 13, 1959Communist revolutionary leader Fidel Castro finally took over Cuba.
However, none of these arbitrary interpretations actually make sense. Because: Fear of Friday the 13th is still relatively young. It has only been known in Germany since the 1950s.
How many times is Friday the 13th?
You should live it at least once a year. At most, Friday the 13th occurs three times. Frequency depends on many factors. In non-leap years, there may be three Friday the 13th falls if February 13th is Friday. Next four weeks later in March. In leap years, January, April and July 13th fall on the same day of the week, which may be a Friday.
Next “Unlucky” Fridays 2023 at a Glance:
- Friday, January 13, 2023
- 13 October 2023 Friday
Are there really more accidents?
Want to leave the car in the garage? ADAC makes it all clear: on Friday the 13th, there are no more accidents than on other Fridays. So the dire predictions are groundless.
A look at ADAC accident statistics shows that driving on Friday the 13th is very safe. An evaluation of Germany-wide accident statistics from 2004 to 2013 shows: On Fridays the 13th, accidents were slightly lower overall. All Fridays had an average of 1001 accidents involving personal injury – and only 999 of those falling on the 13th.
Friday the 13th is a good day for insurance companies! Because there are actually fewer insurance claims these days. According to accident statistics, Monday is the most accident-prone day!
Bad sales for companies
On Friday the 13th, shopping is significantly less. Especially American companies are complaining about this. They estimate their sales decline on this index day at about one billion dollars (about 941 million euros).
Many workers are sick
However, the low number of traffic accidents may be related to the high sickness rate on Friday the 13th. Many Germans shy away from going to the office or going to work that day, preferring to go to the doctor instead? However, the number of sick leave has tripled. Of course, the people have no serious illnesses: on Monday, the 16th, the numbers will reach the normal average again.
Rarely do you fly so cheaply
For vacationers, Friday is an expensive travel day, as is Sunday. And then many fly on vacation or back. The result: prices for flights and package tours are on the rise.
Exception: Friday the 13th. Since that day is considered unlucky, prices also drop. If you take the implied risk, you can even get a bargain if you fly on vacation today.
So Friday the 13th is a really good day!
. “Amateur alcohol specialist. Reader. Hardcore introvert. Freelance explorer.”