Friday the 13th 'superstition' strikes again while X bursts with fancy memes | Today news

Friday the 13th is commonly seen as a day of bad happiness, with his reputation rooted in ancient beliefs around the number 13 and Fridays, both are unfortunately in some cultures. The superstition has grown stronger over the centuries, fueled by mythology, religion and modern media. In Norwegian mythology, the number 13 is linked to chaos. A well -known story speaks of Loki, the Trickster God, who shows up uninvited as the 13th guest at a feast in Valhalla. His presence led to death and disorder and set the tone for the negative associations of the number. This belief spread through Europe, and through the Middle Ages the combination of Friday and the number 13 became a symbol of accident. Christian tradition also helped the 13th’s ominous image on Friday. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, is often described as the 13th guest during the last dinner – an event that took place on a Friday. Many people also believed that other tragic biblical events, such as the fall of Adam and Eve and the murder of Abel, occurred on Fridays. The superstition became even more widespread in the 19th century after the release of Thomas W. Lawson’s novel Friday, the thirteenth, who depicted the day as one of Doom and Disaster. Later, the pop culture played a major role in keeping the myth alive – especially the franchise of the horror film on Friday, the 13th, which turned the date into a global symbol of fear and misfortune. Despite this ominous reputation, Friday the 13th is not everything bad. Some traditions consider it a day of female power and creativity. The number 13 is linked to lunar and natural cycles, while Friday is associated with Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. These links provide a more positive view of the day – one of ‘transformation and new beginning’. On social media, the day is often met a mixture of humor and superstition. This year, ‘social media was flooded with fancy memes’, with users sharing jokes, memes and exaggerated stories about unfortunate events. Nevertheless, the 13th Friday draws attention every time it appears on the calendar – as it is twice in 2024, in September and December. In 2015, the rare event took place three times.