Superstition says the full moon makes people crazy and Friday the 13th is bad luck. We are doubling up this week with a full moon on Friday, September 13th!
Where did the superstition come from?
It's hard to pin down where the superstition about the full moon started, but it's often said there are more emergency room visits and more crime during a full moon. Many people believe the moon has sway over our bodies like it does the ocean tides since our bodies are about 60% water.
Friday the 13th is a little easier to explain. Both Friday and the number 13 are believed to be unlucky on their own, so when combined, they are doubly unlucky. The superstition around 13 is often linked to religion. In the Bible Judas - the man who betrayed Jesus - is said to have been the 13th person seated at the last supper. Similarly in Norse mythology, Loki was the 13th guest at a dinner of the gods. He ruined the party and brought darkness and evil upon the world. Ancient cultures viewed 12 as the "perfect" number, so the number to follow it must swing the scales just as far in the other direction to achieve balance. It seems superstition around Friday also comes from Christian tradition. According to history.com, some speculate Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil on a Friday, Cain killed his brother Able on a Friday, and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. On Friday, October 13, 1307, hundreds of Knights Templar members were arrested and executed by officers of King Philip IV of France. This could also be where the tradition about Friday the 13th originated, though the superstition is not mentioned in Templar tradition.
Is there any truth to it?
No - the majority of the research done trying to find a connection between the moon and our bodies or brains comes up empty. While there have been several high-profile tragedies and murders on Friday the 13th in more recent history, the same can be said for many other days throughout the year.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th.
How rare is a full moon on Friday the 13th?
On average this happens about once every twenty years. The Farmers Almanac reports the last time we had a full moon on Friday the 13th was October 2000 and the next time will be August 2049.
Technically our full moon happens at 12:32 AM on the 14th, but for the other time zones in the lower 48 it occurs on Friday the 13th. This particular full moon is called the Micro Moon and the Harvest Moon. The Micro Moon means the moon is at its point farthest from the Earth, and the Harvest Moon is the full moon that happens closest to the September equinox because that's traditionally when harvest time began. Autumnal equinox this year is on September 23.
