FRIDAY 13th OR TUESDAY 13th?-by Leticia Catasús

Are you superstitious? Friday 13^th or Tuesday 13^th?

Friday 13^th is considered an unlucky day in the Anglo-Saxon cultures. We have seen many scary films which show all kind of horrors and threatening situations and murders happening on a Friday 13^th.

But, why a Friday 13^th brings loads of bad luck to the Anglo-Saxon culture?

It all goes back to Friday, October 13, 1307 when the Order of the Templar Knights  was persecuted by the Holy Inquisition and many of its members were arrested all over Europe. The Holy Inquisition gave this order accusing them of pagan celebrations and practice of heresy, sodomy and not respecting the holy cross of the Christians. In such terrible Friday, all of them were killed. From then, Friday 13^th, has been considered a day of bad luck and terror.

Spanish population does not consider that Friday 13^th is a bad luck day. We consider that Tuesday 13^th is the real unlucky day. We even have a proverb which says “On Tuesday 13^th, neither you marry nor you embark nor you leave your home”. Tuesday 13^th’ bringing bad luck origin is much older than Friday 13 history. In the Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the gods were very present and precisely Tuesday was the day devoted to one of them: Mars the "god of war "; Mars meant will energy, tension and aggressiveness. Tuesday was governed by the red planet, and it was considered a day of destruction, blood and violence.  In ancient times the number 13 was a bad odd number, linked to the number of people at the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and in the Tarot cards this number corresponds to death.

So, there are two different days of the week that may bring you bad luck; which one is yours,Tuesday 13^th or Friday 13^th? Just in case…. don’t get married, don’t embark and don’t’ leave your house neither on a Friday 13^th, nor on a Tuesday 13^th… better prevent than having to cure.