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Friday the 13th’s exact origin is uncertain. The date combines older folklore about Friday and the number 13, but the Library of Congress says the combined superstition is not demonstrably ancient or medieval. Test what you know about its history, its famous origin story and its pop-culture legacy with this 10-question quiz.
Friday the 13th trivia quiz
Choose one answer for each question, then check the key below.
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What is known about the origin of the combined Friday-the-13th superstition?
- A. It began with certainty in ancient Rome.
- B. Its exact origin is uncertain; Friday and 13 had separate folklore associations.
- C. It began with the 1980 horror film.
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What happened to the Knights Templar on October 13, 1307?
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- A. They were arrested in France.
- B. They founded the Thirteen Club.
- C. They published a novel about Wall Street.
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Does the Templar arrest prove that the Friday-the-13th superstition began in 1307?
- A. Yes; contemporary evidence confirms it.
- B. No; the connection is a later origin story, and evidence for the combined belief before 1900 has not been established.
- C. Yes; the superstition was recorded in the arrest order.
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Who established the Thirteen Club in late-nineteenth-century New York?
- A. Captain William Fowler
- B. Thomas W. Lawson
- C. A Knights Templar grand master
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What was the Thirteen Club’s purpose?
- A. To celebrate horror films
- B. To challenge the stigma around the number 13
- C. To establish Friday as a day of bad luck
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What significant Friday-the-13th work appeared in 1907?
- A. A Thomas W. Lawson novel about a stockbroker exploiting superstition to cause Wall Street chaos
- B. The first Friday the 13th film
- C. A Library of Congress report
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Which film helped make Friday the 13th a major pop-culture reference?
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- A. The 1907 film of Lawson’s novel
- B. The 1980 horror film Friday the 13th
- C. A documentary released in 1307
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Is Friday the 13th considered unlucky everywhere?
- A. Yes, it is a universal belief.
- B. No; unlucky dates differ across cultures.
- C. No culture associates any date with bad luck.
-
According to National Geographic, which date is considered unlucky in Spain?
- A. Tuesday the 13th
- B. Friday the 17th
- C. Sunday the 13th
-
According to National Geographic, which number is considered unlucky in Italy?
- A. 7
- B. 13
- C. 17
Answer key and explanations
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B. The Library of Congress explains that Friday and 13 each have older folklore associations, but the combined belief is not demonstrably ancient or medieval. Its precise origin remains uncertain. Library of Congress Folklife Today.
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A. The Knights Templar were arrested in France on October 13, 1307. That historical event is real; its supposed role in creating the superstition is not established. Library of Congress Folklife Today.
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Friday the 13th Trivia- Used Book in Good Condition
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B. The Templar story is a later explanation, not proof of the belief’s origin. The Library of Congress notes that evidence for the combined superstition before 1900 has not been found. Library of Congress Folklife Today.
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A. Captain William Fowler established the Thirteen Club in late-nineteenth-century New York. HISTORY.
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B. The club pushed back against the number 13’s stigma, including by dining on the 13th and deliberately using other superstitious motifs. HISTORY.
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A. Lawson’s 1907 novel Friday, the Thirteenth features a stockbroker who exploits the date’s reputation to stir chaos on Wall Street. HISTORY.
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- THE GORY DETAILS: Horror Trivia is perfect for 2 or more players or teams and is an absolute "scream" at parties. Ideal for horror fans, adults and teens ages 13 years and older, game includes 150 new cards with 300 questions and answers.
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B. The 1980 horror film helped cement the date as a pop-culture reference. HISTORY.
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B. Beliefs vary by culture; Friday the 13th is not a universal unlucky date. National Geographic.
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A. National Geographic describes Tuesday the 13th as unlucky in Spain. National Geographic.
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C. National Geographic identifies 17 as an unlucky number in Italy. National Geographic.
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Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
There is no confirmed single origin for the combined superstition. Friday and the number 13 were associated with bad luck in older European folklore, and over time those beliefs became linked to the same date. The Library of Congress summarizes the distinction: “What we find, then, is that the belief in Friday the 13th is not ancient or medieval, although it does have roots in earlier European beliefs about Friday and the number 13.” Library of Congress Folklife Today, 2024.
What bad things happened on Friday the 13th?
The best-known historical event frequently tied to the date is the arrest of the Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307. The event is often presented as the origin of the superstition, but that connection is unsupported: the date of the arrest does not establish that people already feared Friday the 13th as a combined date. A later literary milestone came in 1907, when Thomas W. Lawson’s novel made the superstition a plot device for financial chaos.
HISTORY has reported estimates that as many as 10 percent of the U.S. population fear the number 13 and that Friday-the-13th-related losses exceed $800 million annually. These are attributed estimates reported by HISTORY, not independently verified measurements; the underlying methodology is not established here. HISTORY.
Is Friday the 13th unlucky everywhere?
No. Unlucky dates vary across cultures. National Geographic describes Tuesday the 13th as unlucky in Spain and the number 17 as unlucky in Italy, rather than Friday the 13th being a universal fear. National Geographic.
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