The second Friday the 13th of 2026 has arrived, a date synonymous with bad luck for the superstitious. This year brings a triple dose of misfortune, as the 13th day of the month falls on Fridays in February, March and November.
The superstition is widely believed to originate from the Last Supper, where 13 people – Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples – gathered on Maundy Thursday, the night before his crucifixion on Good Friday. This links 13 to Judas Iscariot, Christ’s betrayer, and deems it imperfect compared to 12, representing the months in a year.
The union of day and date has also been traced back to King Philip IV of France arresting hundreds of Knights Templar on Friday 13 October 1307. The Catholic crusaders were apprehended over allegations that new recruits were forced to spit on the cross, deny Christ and engage in homosexual acts during initiation ceremonies. The claims, seemingly without foundation, were a pretext for Philip to persecute the wealthy order and waive debts he owed them.
Charged with moral and financial corruption, many knights were later burnt at the stake in Paris. The order’s Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, is said to have cried out a curse: “God knows who is wrong and has sinned. Soon a calamity will occur to those who have condemned us to death.” According to tradition, this ensured every subsequent Friday the 13th meant bad luck.
An irrational fear of the date is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia. In Spanish-speaking countries and Greece, it is Tuesday the 13th that frightens people, while in Italy it is Friday the 17th. Other famous indicators of bad luck include a black cat crossing your path, breaking a mirror, walking under a ladder, opening an umbrella indoors and saying the name of Shakespeare's “Scottish play” in a theatre.
