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Unlucky day or is it all just superstition?Exciting facts about Friday the 13th – that you definitely don't know yet!
Friday the 13th is an unlucky day for many people. But what is actually behind it? We tell you exciting facts about the bad luck day (symbolic image)
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Oh no, HE'S back!
Friday the 13th? A good reason not to leave the house and hide in bed. After all, more accidents always happen on a Friday that falls on the 13th – or is that just superstition? We have collected the most exciting facts about the supposedly unlucky day for you – from its origin to its frequency to its alleged consequences!
1. More accidents on Friday the 13th? Statistics show that the date is not an unlucky day
An ADAC analysis of the accident numbers from January 2004 to 2016 shows that on days that fell on Friday the 13th, There were only slightly more accidents with personal injuries than on the other Fridays. An average of 991 accidents with personal injuries occurred on all Fridays during the twelve years examined. On the 23 Fridays that fell on the 13th, an average of 995 accidents occurred.
The ADAC also confirms in 2021: “There is no significant difference to other Fridays of the year“, it says on the website. This means: “Superstitions, bad premonitions or fears surrounding Friday the 13th are unfounded – at least as far as the number of traffic accidents is concerned.”
Even in 2026, insurance statistics show that more accidents do not automatically happen on a Friday the 13th. According to R+V statistics, which look at damage over the last 20 years, Friday the 13th is no more dangerous than other working daysbut more harmless! The insurance company reported an average of 3,209 claims on the alleged days of the accident. On all other Fridays there was an average of 195 more claims!
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2. Religious origin? The “unlucky” number 13 can also be found in the Bible
There is even an intimation of misfortune from the combination of Friday and 13 in the Bible: According to the scriptures, 13 people were present at the Last Supper – Jesus and his twelve disciples. One of them, Judas, betrayed him. So he was crucified on Friday. The Christian Good Friday reminds us of this.
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3. Lucky day instead of bad luck? In these countries, 13 is even considered a lucky number
Did you know? In some countries, such as China and Italy, 13 is not considered an unlucky number but rather a lucky number. So it's no wonder that many people choose the 13th of every month as their lucky day!
In some Spanish-speaking countries, Friday doesn't matter: Here Tuesday the 13th is considered an unlucky day. Tuesday means “martes” in Spanish and is based on the god of war Ares. You should therefore not get married or travel on Tuesdays.
4. Movies for Friday the 13th – Horror series Guilty of superstition?
A film is to blame for widespread superstition: the film came out in 1916 “Friday the 13th.” by Richard Oswald to the cinema – and increased the popularity of the “cursed day”. In the film, members of a family always die on this date. A sure sign of bad luck.
There is also a US horror film series “Friday the 13th”, which started with the first film in 1980. With twelve installments and one spin-off to date, it is the longest-running horror film series in Hollywood.
5. Three times a year: On which days in 2026 is Friday the 13th?
Friday the 13th happened twice in 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2024. In 2025 we were able to breathe easy with just one “unlucky day”. This year it's hitting us even harder! Because 2026 has not just one or two Fridays that fall on the 13th, but three – on these days:
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Friday the 13th on February 13, 2026
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Friday the 13th on March 13, 2026
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Friday the 13th on November 13, 2026
6. More hospital visits on Friday the 13th?
In a German study published in the World Journal of Surgery, researchers examined the relationship between the date of the accident, the frequency of emergency room visits and patients' blood loss. A total of 3,281 days in a hospital were evaluated, 15 of which were Friday the 13th. The researchers found no connection.
7. Afraid of Friday the 13th? Paraskavedekatriaphobia is real
Please what!? What sounds like an illness is actually a real term that explains the phenomenon: While the superstitious fear of the number 13 is called Triskaidekaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th has the name: Paraskavedekatriaphobia – learned something new again!
8. Taylor Swift and Co.: These celebrities were born on the 13th of a month
Unlucky days don't always bring about unlucky people: The very successful celebrity twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were born on Friday, June 13, 1986. Just like “2 Broke Girls” star Kate Dennings. Actress Julia Louis Dreyfus (January 13, 1961) and her colleague Steve Buscemi (December 13, 1957) were also born on this date.
The most famous “representative” of the number 13, if such a thing exists, is pop star Taylor Swift. Instead of being afraid of the supposedly unlucky number, she simply turned the tables and chose 13 as her lucky number. Because: She was born on December 13th, 1989 and turned 13 on a Friday the 13th. The number 13 also always plays an important role in their concerts or in their songs.
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9. Doomsday on Friday the 13th?
On a Friday the 13th, in April 2029, a large asteroid, the “God of Chaos”, is expected to fly very close to Earth – so close that it can be seen from Earth with a telescope from the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia. But will that really happen? At least we still have three good years…
10. Even in fairy tales, 13 always meant bad luck instead of good luck
Not only does Friday the 13th bring bad luck, a 13th fairy can also be a sign of tragedy. For example, for poor Sleeping Beauty: The parents only invited twelve fairies, the 13th didn't think that was right and put a spell on the child – and so Sleeping Beauty had to sleep for 100 years.
11. Black cats had to wear a bell on Friday the 13th
Brilliant or crazy? The residents of the town of Lick in the US state of Indiana are said to have been so superstitious that the administration imposed a very special regulation in the 1930s: On Friday the 13th, every black cat in the city was supposed to wear a bell around its neck for at least 24 hours so that the residents could avoid their misfortune in time. Since the Middle Ages, many people have thought that a black cat coming from the right brings bad luck.
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12. Economic damage if no one worked on Friday the 13th
As a US study found in 2003, 17 to 21 million US citizens are said to suffer from the fear of Friday the 13th. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, estimated the economic damage that would occur if people were to stop doing their jobs, not fly, abandon their business or even not get up because of their fear of this date. The total: 800 to 900 million US dollars per unlucky day.
13. The number is the “devil’s dozen”
The number 13 has been known as “the devil’s dozen” since the Middle Ages. A day and a night are each twelve hours long, the year has twelve months, in the Bible there are twelve apostles and in Greek and Roman mythology there are twelve gods. This is considered harmonious – and 13 is simply one too many. (vdü/ake)
Sources used: RTL archive, ADAC, R+V insuranceStress Management Center and Phobia Institute
