Friday The 13th Takes Over Internet — What Users Are Sharing About This Eerie Day

Few superstitions in Western culture are as notorious for invoking fear as shattering a mirror, spotting a black cat crossing your path, or the dreaded arrival of Friday the 13th. As the calendar flips to this infamous day, a wave of anxiety seems to sweep over many, convinced that misfortune is lurking just around the corner. The belief is so deeply ingrained that even those who don’t fully buy into it find themselves a bit more cautious. But what is it about Friday the 13th that fuels such widespread unease? While most believers can’t quite pinpoint the origin, the superstition is tied to a term as complex as the fear itself — friggatriskaidekaphobia — the absurd fear of Friday falling on the 13th day of the month.

Some claim that the 1980 film Friday the 13th marked the beginning of the trend. In the film, a camp cook’s kid turns into a murderer following the demise of his mother. He goes on to become a well-known mass murderer, recognisable by his hockey mask and machete. The antagonist Jason Voorhees later gained notoriety for his graphically violent ways of murder in the Friday the 13th film series.

The hashtag #FridayThe13th is now trending on X where users are posting several posts about the day.

A user wrote, “Halloween? You have to go through Friday The 13th first.”

Sharing an excerpt from the 2001 movie Jason X, a user wrote, “One of the more creative ways Jason Voorhees kills someone.”

Another user shared the movie props stating, “Should I put the costume on tomorrow night to walk the streets and scare some people?”

In an attempt to draw attention to the day’s misfortune, a user posted a brief video of a golfer failing to hit the ball into the cup from even a 15-centimetre distance.

This GIF shows a cartoon character afraid of the calendar that says Friday The 13.

Misfortune within a misfortune– this post shows the date written on a black cat.

Friday’s negative connotations also date back to Christian customs. It’s said that Friday was the day when Jesus Christ was crucified, and the traitor Judas Iscariot was the 13th member to attend the Last Supper.

Historically, Fridays have been associated with bad luck due to these incidents.

Moreover, Friday’s bad reputation dates back to the Middle Ages. Often called “hangman’s day,” this was a notorious day because of the numerous executions that took place on it. Its negative connotations were reinforced by the social idea that Fridays were unlucky.