If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an
unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th
is one of three to endure this year.
The first came last month. The next is in November.
Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years.
The origin of the link between bad luck and
Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date
to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper
betrayed Jesus).
By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered
bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition
permeates society.