Friday the 13th Origins

Today is Friday the 13th in October, which is pretty cool. I got a little curious and looked up the origins of the spookiness associated with Friday the 13th. There's many explanations regarding how the 13th day of the month being on a Friday is considered bad luck. One article claims that Friday the 13th started because 13 members were present at Jesus' Last Supper, and Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. Another claims that it originated on Friday, October 13th, 1307 when Phillip IV of France arrested hundreds of members of the Catholic military league known as the Knights Templar. In Greek and Hispanic cultures, Tuesday the 13th, instead of Friday the 13th, is considered unlucky. In mythology, Ares/Mars, the god of war, is said to dominate Tuesdays. The fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade also occurred on Tuesday the 13th, reinforcing the misfortune associated with the day. However, one of the coolest origin stories, and most relevant because we're researching Rome in class, is the Roman version of the unlucky day. The Romans believed that Friday the 17th was a bad omen because when the Roman numeral for 17 (XVII) is rearranged, it can form VIXI which is Latin for "I have lived." This phrase implies that one is dead in the present, which is clearly not a sign of a lucky fortune. Anyways, have a great Friday the October 13th (and try not to be too unlucky) because the next one doesn't happen until 2023!