Black Friday originates from Western religious beliefs and superstitions: Jesus Christ died on Friday, and 13 is an unlucky number. The combination of the two creates the belief that something bad will happen that day.
Friday and the number 13 both represent bad luck. Two unfortunate individuals finally combine to form a super unfortunate day. Therefore, no matter which month the 13th falls on a Friday, it is called "Black Friday".
At 13:13:13 on April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 spacecraft, carrying out the third lunar landing mission, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On April 13, when it was expected to enter the lunar orbit, the spacecraft exploded, which not only caused the lunar landing mission to be abandoned, but also almost cost the lives of three astronauts. Some point to the nearly disastrous Apollo 13 mission as proof that the number 13 is an unlucky number.
In the eyes of Westerners, Friday is an unlucky day. On this day, some people will not be able to get out of bed because of fear, and some people will refuse to fly, buy a house, or even buy a sure-win item. stock. And if Friday coincides with the 13th, it is a very unlucky day. Because people will not fly or do business as usual on this day, business losses can reach $800 to $900 million. He estimates that this fear afflicts tens of millions of people in the United States.
Desai, a folklore historian and author of "Fear and Fun," said the fear of Black Friday is deeply rooted in ancient times. Friday and the number 13 both represent bad luck. Two unfortunate individuals finally combine to form a super unlucky day.
Desai traces the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a banquet in their paradise, Valhalla. Loki, who was not invited, was the 13th guest at the banquet. When he arrived there, he asked Hoder, the god of darkness, to shoot Balder, the god of joy and joy, with an arrow tipped with mistletoe. Balder died, and the entire earth fell into darkness and sorrow. From that moment on, the number 13 became a bad omen.
The unlucky number 13 is also related to the Bible. Judas, the evangelist who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Meanwhile, in ancient Rome, legend has it that 12 groups of witches gathered, and the 13th one was considered to be the devil.
Thomas Fessler, a scientist at the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware in Newark, said the reason the number 13 is so unfortunate is due to its position after 12. According to Fessler, numerical scientists believe that 12 is a "complete" number, 12 months in the year, the 12 signs of the zodiac, the 12 gods of Olympus, the 12 labors of Hercules, and the 12 tribes of Israel. , and the 12 evangelists of Jesus. A little over 12, 13 is "a little over 'complete'", and this number becomes unstable.
The fear of 13 is still very strong today. According to Desai’s survey, 80% of high-rise buildings do not have a 13th floor. Many airports miss the 13th door. Hospitals and hotels usually do not have room numbers 13. . On the streets of Florence, Italy, the house number between 12 and 14 is 12.5. Among France's famous sonnet socialites, they once thought they could escape an unfortunate fate by becoming the 14th guest at a banquet.
As for Friday, it is the day when the famous Christian Jesus was persecuted. Some Bible scholars believe that Eve tempted Adam to eat the forbidden fruit also on a Friday. Perhaps the most significant belief is that Cain killed Abel on Friday the 13th.
On October 13, 1307, it was a Friday (this is one of the origins of Black Friday). Without any warning, Philip IV sent a secret letter to officials across France. , requiring them to open it at the same time. The content of the secret letter was to arrest members of the Knights Templar from various places. Philip's surprise attack was a complete success. Almost all the Knights Templar in France were arrested. 138 Knights were arrested in Paris alone. The top leaders of the Knights Templar included the grand master Jacques de Mo. Jacques de Molay was not spared. Philip IV charged the Knights Templar with "heresy", which is really interesting. The Knights Templar are indeed not good men and women. You can say they are greedy and cruel, but to say heresy is a bit bizarre. , since the establishment of the Knights, it has always been the most loyal force under the Pope. The Pope has granted them hundreds of privileges successively. But what Philip IV needed was not a logical point of view, he just needed to drive the Knights into a state of eternal destruction. The French Inquisition immediately began interrogating members of the Order. Thanks to the "effective work" of the Inquisition, the Templars began to confess, including Grand Master Jacques de Molay. The Inquisition also asked him to issue an order to all members of the Knights to resolve their obligation to keep secrets. After Morlay's order, the members of the Knights gave all kinds of strange confessions to the inquisition. Some admitted that they spit on the cross when they joined the order, some said that they practiced witchcraft, and some said that they worshiped pagan idols. , as for what this pagan idol looks like, everyone has their own version, and there is also homosexuality among members of the Knights - this may be the only credible accusation.
According to records, 36 members of the Knights died during interrogation in Paris alone. We can imagine the circumstances under which these confessions were obtained.