Friday 13th

[lincolnimps]

where did the superstition about friday the 13th come from ?

[heathfield]

A popular date for the origin is Friday 13th October, 1307. This was the day when King Phillip of France had all the Knights Templar arrested, to be tortured, and burned at the stake.
But I was listening on the radio this morning to Steve Roud, author of 'The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland'. He said that though there were many such claimed sources, it didn't actually become a superstition until Victorian times.

[Quizmonster]

The commonest reason given for this is the fact that there were 13 people at the table for the Last Supper in the Bible...ie the occasion of Jesus' betrayal by Judas.
The earliest recorded evidence that Friday - 13th or not - was unlucky is in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, published some 600 years ago.

[spudmuffa]

Good question. Friday is derived from the Norse God Freya. The day Friday was named after her. Friday is a womans day.
That is coupled with 13 at the Last Supper and 13 steps to the gallows. The rest is history.
I always knew that there would be a woman involved somewhere. Hope this helps.

[CushtyFred]

Flat out answer spudmuffa.

[uraeus]

Either the Knights templar slaughter (which I think is unlikely) or the 13 people present at the last supper. May have been 14 for the Dan Brown lovers!