What Are The Superstitions Behind Friday The 13th? Spooky Date Lands Before Valentine’s Day

The entire internet was happily coloured in shades of red and pink, that was until an old folktale knocked at the door. For ages, Friday the 13th has been a ghostly spectre looming over the calendar. However, what will happen in 2026, when there are not one but three of them? Well, there are several stories and superstitions associated with the spooky date, so as we enter the first Friday the 13th of 2026, let’s take a look at the story behind it.

What is the story behind Friday the 13th?

When the world’s most romantic holiday falls a day after Friday the 13th, the buzz around the date seems inevitable. As if one thing is for sure, everyone wants to keep their loved ones safe and as far away from any illfate as possible. But do you know how a date turned into one of the most haunted days on the calendar? February 13, 2026, marks the first Friday the 13th this year. However, 2026 seems like a year of bonuses, as it has three.

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The last time Friday the 13th immediately preceded Valentine’s Day was in 2015. Galentine’s Day is also celebrated on February 13, a day to celebrate your friends and enjoy gift-giving together. However, the date being “unlucky” dates back to the Last Supper. Yes! The date’s spooky association likely stems from Christianity, according to History.com. During the Last Supper of Jesus in the Bible, 13 people were seated at the table, which took place on a Thursday. 

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The following day, a Friday, Jesus was crucified, making the coincidence too uncanny for the coming ages to ignore. Dr Phil Stevens, author and retired anthropology professor, in a previous interview with USA TODAY, reflected on the association between Friday the 13th and bad luck and stated:

“So 13 is associated with that terrible event. And Friday, the 13th, you get a double whammy. You get both of these elements coming together: the taboo against 13, and the crucifixion, which was on a Friday,” 

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How rare are back-to-back Friday the 13th dates?

What made the buzz even stronger was that 2026 has not just one but three Friday the 13ths, making it extra spooky. However, it is not uncommon. The last time the calendar rolled back-to-back Friday the 13ths was in 2015, and the next will be 11 years from now in 2037. And thereafter in 2040 and again in 2043. While it might seem like a cosmic event, the pattern for Friday the 13ths is actually very predictable, repeating in three separate overlapping 28-year cycles (2026, 2037, 2043, 2054, 2065, 2071, 2082, 2093 and 2099) through the end of the 21st century, according to EarthSky.com.

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Why 2026 is the rarest of all in the case of Friday the 13th?

What makes 2026 slightly more spookily special is the fact that this year has three of them. The first fell on February 13, 2026, followed by March 13, 2026 and November 13, 2026. However, it is worth noting that there are three Friday the 13ths in a year. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanack, although three Friday the 13ths are not rare, they occur only twice in 14 years. 

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February 2026 has the perfect calendar

Some people were thrilled to see that February 2026 formed the “perfect calendar.” With four seven-day weeks beginning on Sunday and ending on Saturday. February 2026 makes for a perfect rectangle on the standard Gregorian calendar. However, will that change with February 13, 2026, being a Friday? 

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What are your thoughts on Friday the 13th? Let us know.

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