VALDOSTA — While many know they are supposed to feel uncomfortable every time the 13th lands on a Friday, they may be unsure as to why.

The number 13 itself has been considered “unlucky” for centuries. It’s uncommon to find a hotel room with the number or a high-rise building with a designated 13th floor.

The basis for the belief is commonly linked to the Bible with the belief that Judas was the 13th guest at the Last Supper and betrayed Jesus, according to “Black Cats and Evil Eye,” a book of superstitions written by Chole Rhodes.

Similarly, there is a Norse belief that a banquet was held with 12 gods with Loki acting as the 13th guest and triggered the start of Ragnarok, the Norse end of the world.

It also takes 13 witches to make a coven, which is to align with the 13 lunar months.

The unluckiness of Fridays also has biblical ties, according to Rhodes’ book. It stems back to the Christian belief that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. History.com also notes the belief that Eve offered Adam the forbidden fruit on a Friday. It has since been regarded as the most unlucky day of the week.

Giving a more modern take on the superstition of the day is the “Friday the 13th” horror franchise which focuses on Jason Voorhees, a hockey-mask-wearing slasher, and his victims. The first of the films was released in 1980.

The movies get their name because the first film’s storyline takes place on Friday the 13th. The last film was released in 2009 and a video game based on the series was released in 2017, which puts the player into the movies, whether as a victim or as Voorhees. 

Dan Brown’s book “The Da Vinci Code” references the arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday the 13, 1307, and it became a popular belief this was a source of the superstition.

However, a 2016 National Geographic article by Becky Little debunked the Knights idea by stating while some members were arrested on the date, it is not the origin of the superstition.

“Right now, the hottest take on Friday the 13th is that it wasn’t associated with bad luck until 1907, when a novel titled ‘Friday, the Thirteenth’ was published,” Little said in her article. “Whether or not the superstitions began with that novel, it’s clear that a lot of rationalizations for it — such as the Templar tale — are recent inventions.”

Whether bad luck occurring on the day is coincidence or a true curse, the day will likely retain its stigma.

Looking ahead to 2020, there will be two Friday the 13s; one in March and another in November.

Desiree Carver is a reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229) 244-3400 ext. 1215.