Every now and then, the 13th day of a month happens to fall on a Friday and, lo and behold, you’re experiencing a Friday the 13th. For the skeptics and naysayers, this may become a laughing stock, but for the believers, it’s the motto to walk on eggshells all day. But what does Friday the 13th really mean? How did everyone come to refer to it, either sarcastically or literally, as an “unlucky” overlap? Let’s tell an age-old tale.

The debriefing

The exact origins of Friday the 13th cannot be determined with 100 percent certainty. But the legend seems to have survived many seas and ages and is still alive today. The first references to the supposedly ominous nature of the number 13 can be found in Norse mythology, as Charles Panati explores in his book Friday the 13th. Extraordinary origins of everyday things. The story goes that Loki, the god of mischief, broke into Asgard’s majestic Valhalla during a banquet, increasing the number of attendees to 13. What followed was an unfortunate series of events that eventually saw the blind god Hodr shoot his brother Balder, the god of light, splendor, joy, purity, peace, and forgiveness, with an arrow, killing him instantly.

The domino effect of this was felt in Europe, where the energy of the number 13 stuck in one of the most difficult passages in the Bible. The momentous Last Supper took place on a Thursday (now called Maundy Thursday in reference to the Last Supper). The 13th guest was none other than Judas Iscariot, the disciple who ultimately betrayed Jesus. Jesus was crucified the next day, a Friday.

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

Mythologically, Fridays are not high on the list of “luckier” days of the week. A CNN report lists the alarming array of unpleasant events that all took place on a Friday. Whether it’s Adam and Eve eating the forbidden apple, Cain’s murder of his brother Abel, or even the fall of Solomon’s Temple, all of these events took place on a Friday.

The mythology soon found its way into literary relics, further cementing the dubious reputation of Friday the 13th. The first known book to breathe fictional life into this theme was Thomas William Lawson Friday the 13th. The book was first published in 1907 and traced the manipulations of a New York stockbroker who exploited the fears surrounding the date for his own benefit. Speaking of films: You don’t have to look any further than the 12 titles Friday the 13th Franchise. The first film came out in 1980, but the paranoia and thrills that the slasher flick spread have quite a lasting legacy and are still alive today.

It is a question of perception

If there’s one thing that the parallels from mythical 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. In fact, many believe that the fifth day of the week referred to as “Friday” is actually a reference to the goddess Frigg (or Frigga), whose domain is love, marriage, and motherhood.

A similar revered connection is also associated with the goddess Freyja, whose realms are love, fertility and war. This reverence in itself places Friday in a much more optimistic light, mythically speaking.

But that’s not all: the power of the number 13 is also reflected in art. Take, for example, the Venus of Laussel, which is on display in the Musée d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux, France. The 46 cm high limestone relief of a naked woman is still considered a powerful symbol of fertility today. The woman is shown cradling her pregnant belly and holding up a horn on which exactly 13 lines are carved.

And if we turn to more modern times, could there be a greater mascot for the number 13 than Taylor Swift? In fact, the pop icon even addressed the same thing in a 2009 interview with Jay Leno. She said: “I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold after 13 weeks. My first No. 1 song had a 13-second intro. Every time I’ve won an award, I’ve either sat in the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section, or row M, which is the 13th letter. Basically, any time a 13 shows up in my life, it’s always a good thing.”

While many laugh off the fears associated with Friday the 13th, for some this day can be truly stressful. Consider Paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is literally a morbid fear of the date Friday the 13th.

Regardless of what you think about the date, we hope you have a great time!