There is no written evidence for a "Friday the 13th" superstition before the 19th century, and the superstition only gained widespread distribution in the 20th century. The fear of the number 13 has been given a scientific name: triskadekaphobia; and on analogy to this the fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.
It is thought that Friday and the number 13 were traditionally considered unlucky because of their connection with the crucifixion of Christ (Friday being the day the crucifixion took place and was commemorated weekly in Catholic practice, and 13 being the number of people present at the last supper.
In Spanish-speaking countries, instead of Friday, Tuesday the 13th (martes trece) is considered a day of bad luck as it is in Greece.
Research in America has shown that Friday the 13th adversely affects the economy with people changing their daily routines on this day and avoiding certain things like transport and flights. They estimate that this day can affect the economy in America meaning it loses $800 or $900 million in business on this day.
For more information visit:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskaidekaphobia
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