您今天要出門時，是否心裡隱約總覺得怪怪的，覺得有甚麼事情會發生，假如你注意到今天日期的話，可能會有些訝異，因為今天是西曆的 13 日又恰巧是星期五，哇！是 13號星期五 (Friday the 13th)，在很多的文化或信仰，特別是西方社會，人們相信星期五13號可能會帶來不幸、厄運、或者意外事件。
關於 「13號星期五」有許多有意思的說法，其中流傳最廣的說法，來自《聖經》中的最後的晚餐，相傳那天耶穌被他的門徒猶大出賣，被逮捕那天剛好是星期五，而猶大恰巧也是最後的晚餐中第 13 位客人。另外，相傳在北歐神話中，神明們舉行了一場盛大的宴會，有 12 個神明被邀請，然而，不請自來的洛基擅自闖入宴會，成為第 13 位到場的神明，洛基到最後殺死了代表快樂和喜悅的巴德爾，並引發了一系列的悲劇事件，最終，導致了諸神的黃昏，自始，13 變成了不祥之兆的數字，這也是，如果有13個人一起舉行聚會，其中會有一人在第二年死去的迷信來源。在歷史上與13號星期五有關最早的紀錄，是歷史上的聖殿騎士團在1307年10月13日遭到屠殺的事件，當日上午法國國王腓力四世下令逮捕並屠殺境內所有的聖殿騎士團成員，而這天正好同時是 13日與星期五。
隨著時間推移，13號星期五不吉利的名聲也逐漸傳了開來，我們在日常生活中還是看得到這種迷信的徵兆，在西方社會，很多大樓都會跳過 13 樓，街道地址從 12 號直接跳到 14 號，有的機場也沒有 13 號登機門。就和華人社會中的數字 4 類似，數字 4 的發音類似「死」，所以很多華人社會寧可信其有、不可信其無，很多大樓樓層也都會跳過 4 樓，從 3 樓就直接到 5 樓，尤其是見證生死的醫院，特是如此。
總之，每個人對「13號星期五」的印象各不相同，有些人視之為一種迷信，但有些人則可能更加相信這種不吉利的日子，對我而言，星期五通常標誌著工作週的結束，週末的開始，我期待著週末的到來，常會在週五晚上與朋友或家人見面聚餐，13號星期五對我而言，只是一個平常的日子，但是「13號星期五」卻是一個聊天打屁的好話題，您們覺得呢？
When I'm getting ready to go out on a day like today, I might have a sense that something feels a bit unusual. That's because today is the 13th day of the month and, coincidentally, it's a Friday. Wow! It's Friday the 13th. In many cultures and beliefs, especially in Western societies, people have this superstition that Friday the 13th may bring bad luck, misfortune, or unexpected events.
There are interesting stories and beliefs surrounding "Friday the 13th." One of the most widely circulated explanations comes from the Christian tradition. It is said that on this day, Jesus was betrayed by his disciple Judas during the Last Supper and subsequently arrested. This day also happened to be a Friday, and Judas was the 13th person at the Last Supper.
In Norse mythology, there's another tale where 13 plays an unlucky role. During a grand feast of the gods, 12 gods were invited, but Loki, the trickster god, crashed the party uninvited, becoming the 13th attendee. Loki's presence led to the death of Balder, representing joy and happiness, and triggered a series of tragic events that ultimately led to the Twilight of the Gods. Since then, the number 13 has been associated with omens and is believed that if 13 people gather, one of them will die in the following year.
One of the earliest recorded historical events associated with Friday the 13th was the mass arrest and execution of the Knights Templar on October 13, 1307, by order of King Philip IV of France. This event happened to occur on a Friday, and it contributed to the superstition.
As time went on, the negative reputation of Friday the 13th continued to spread, leading to practices like skipping the 13th floor in many Western buildings, jumping from the 12th to the 14th floor, and avoiding the number 13 in various aspects of life.
In summary, people's impressions of "Friday the 13th" vary widely. Some consider it superstition, while others take the belief in its ill fortune more seriously. For me, Friday typically marks the end of the workweek and the beginning of the weekend. I look forward to the weekend and often use Fridays to meet up with friends or family for dinner. As for Friday the 13th, it's just another ordinary day to me, but it's a great topic for conversation and discussions. What do you think?