Effects
Strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is
actually unlucky for some. Psychologists have found that some
people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on
Friday the 13th. This has been attributed to such people feeling
a heightened state of anxiety on that day. The Stress Management
Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina
estimates that in the United States alone, $800 or $900 million
is lost in business each Friday the 13th because some people
will not travel or go to work.
Did You Know...
* 17 TO 21 MILLION Americans & 4 to 5 million in the UK, suffer
from paraskevidekatriaphobia - the fear of Friday the 13th?
* it has been estimated that 750 MILLION DOLLARS will be LOST in
business because people will not shop, travel or take risks of
any kind on this Friday the 13th?
* that the U.S. NAVY to this day will NOT LAUNCH a ship on
Friday the 13th?
* that OVER 85% will RISK THEIR LIVES rather than walk under a
ladder?
* symptoms range from mild anxiety and a nagging sense of doom
to full blown panic attacks?
* SOME WILL NOT EVEN GET OUT OF BED or leave their homes this
Friday the 13th?
* that most other superstitious fears show up on or around
Friday the 13th?.
Occurrence
The following months have a Friday the 13th:
2000 October
2001, 2007, 2018 April, July
2002, 2013, 2019, 2024 September, December
2003, 2008, 2014, 2025 June
2004 February, August
2005, 2011, 2016, 2022 May
2006, 2017, 2023 January, October
2009, 2015, 2026 February, March, November
2010, 2021, 2027 August
2012 January, April, July
2020 March, November
This sequence, here given for 2000-2027, repeats every 28 years from
1901 to 2099. The months with a Friday the 13th are determined by the
Dominical letter of the year. All months whose first day falls on a
Sunday will contain a Friday the 13th.
Because the Gregorian Calendar 400-year cycle has a whole number of
weeks, it is not possible for exactly 1 in 7 months to have a Friday the
13th. In fact, the 13th is more likely to be a Friday than any other day
of the week.
Over any given 400-year cycle the 13th day of the month occurs 4800
times. The distribution of 13th day of the month is as follows :
Monday ( 685 or 14.27% ),
Tuesday ( 685 or 14.27% ),
Wednesday ( 687 or 14.31% ),
Thursday ( 684 or 14.25% ),
Friday ( 688 or 14.34% ),
Saturday ( 684 or 14.25% ),
Sunday ( 687 or 14.31% ).
This means the 13th day of the month is only slightly more likely to
occur on a Friday!
