What's so scary about Friday the 13th?

Summary

Who Smarted? - “What's so scary about Friday the 13th?”

Release Date: February 13, 2026
Podcast: Who Smarted?
Host/Voices: Trusty Narrator, Number 13, Friday

---

Main Theme

This episode of “Who Smarted?” explores the origins, history, and facts behind Friday the 13th—a date that’s famously considered unlucky. Through playful banter, interactive questions, and trivia, the episode unpacks why both the number 13 and Fridays have a reputation for bad luck, investigates international variations of “unlucky days,” and reassures listeners with some light science and statistics.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Unsettling Aura of Friday the 13th

• The Narrator wakes up to realize it’s Friday the 13th, prompting anxiety and a playful internal debate about whether to be “scared of the day.”
  • [01:41] "Today is not just any Friday... today is Friday the 13th. Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy." (Host)

Why is 13 Considered Unlucky?

• Guest “Number 13” and “Friday” (brought to life as characters) explain the superstition’s roots.
• [04:44] Origins include:

  • A Norwegian myth: 12 gods were having dinner, an uninvited 13th guest shows up, causing chaos and darkness.

  • The significance of the number 12 as a “complete” number (e.g., 12 months, 12 labors of Hercules), making 13 uncomfortable as it goes beyond known boundaries.

    Number 13: "I'm also sometimes considered a cursed number because I come after 12. Many people see 12 as a number that completes things, so I make them uncomfortable because I’m the unknown." [05:17]

• Sometimes 13 is lucky—like a baker's dozen, which means extra treats! [05:50]

Societal Impacts of 13

• Architects and businesses avoid the number:

  • Up to 85% of skyscrapers skip labeling a 13th floor. [06:08]
  • Airplanes often don’t have a 13th row. [06:33]
  • Some addresses and restaurants avoid 13.

• French “quatorzième” (14th guest) is sometimes hired to avoid 13 at a dinner party. [06:56]

Why is Friday Unlucky?

• “Friday” laments its undeserved reputation:
  • Some cultures, such as sailors, believed starting a voyage on Friday was unlucky. [07:21]
• Fridays should be joyful—they’re the start of the weekend!

Friday the 13th in Pop Culture

• [07:50] The pairing of Friday and 13 as "extra unlucky" is relatively recent:
  • It became widely feared after Thomas W. Lawson's 1907 bestselling novel Friday the Thirteenth.

Friday: "Wait, everyone hates us because of one book?" [08:21]

Superstitions Explained

• Defines “superstition” as the belief that something good or bad will happen, even if there’s no logical reason.
  • Examples: broken mirrors, black cats.
• It's mostly an American tradition:
  • In Spain, it’s actually Tuesday the 13th that’s unlucky. [09:40]
  • In Italy, the 17th day of the month is considered unlucky due to Roman numerals spelling “VIXI” (“my life is over” in Latin). [09:57]

The Reality Check

• No science supports anything bad actually happening more on Friday the 13th.
• [10:12] "There's zero proof or evidence that more bad things happen on any of those days." (Host)

Frequency of Friday the 13th

• Can occur up to three times a year. [10:33]

Phobia of Friday the 13th

• The fear is called Triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13).

Number 13: "I'm just a number. The same as any other number. You don't have to skip over me when you count or anything." [11:34]

The Thirteen Club

• In the late 1800s, Captain William Fowler founded the Thirteen Club to combat superstitions.
  • Monthly 13-course dinners on the 13th in room 13!
  • Four U.S. presidents (Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, Roosevelt) were members. [16:04]
  • Ironically, FDR refused to travel or host dinners on the 13th. [16:28]

Famous Fans of 13

• Taylor Swift considers 13 her lucky number because her birthday is December 13th. [17:04]
• Studies have shown fewer accidents occur on Friday the 13th, possibly because people are more cautious. [17:16]

Reassurance for Listeners

• The hosts conclude that Friday the 13th and 13 aren’t actually scary—superstitions are just stories, not facts.
  • “You don’t have to be afraid of the number 13 or Friday, whether we’re separate or together.” (Number 13, [17:32])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [05:17] "I'm the unknown." — Number 13 on why people are wary
• [06:08] "Chances are, [the elevator] didn't have a 13th floor... the numbers just skip from the 12th floor to the 14th." — Host
• [07:21] "For a long time, sailors believed it's bad luck to start a voyage on a Friday." — Friday
• [08:21] "Wait, everyone hates us because of one book?" — Friday
• [10:12] "While some people worry about those dates on the calendar, there's zero proof or evidence that more bad things happen on any of those days." — Host
• [11:34] "Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of me, the number 13." — Number 13
• [16:04] "They ate this special dinner in room 13... and would you believe four U.S. presidents were members of the 13 Club?" — Number 13
• [17:04] "One of my biggest fans is Taylor Swift. Since her birthday is December 13th, she considers 13th her lucky number." — Number 13

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–01:41 — Host intro & realization it’s Friday the 13th
• 03:19–04:44 — Setting the scene: why are 13 and Friday speaking?
• 04:44–06:56 — Origins & superstitions surrounding the number 13
• 07:16–08:25 — Why Fridays get a bad rap; cultural associations
• 08:25–09:16 — Superstitions and their definitions
• 09:38–10:12 — International variants: Spain’s Tuesday the 13th, Italy’s 17th
• 10:30–11:34 — Frequency & phobia: triskaidekaphobia
• 15:44–16:28 — The Thirteen Club story and presidential members
• 17:04–17:32 — Taylor Swift’s lucky number and stats about Friday the 13th
• 17:43–End — Fun, upbeat conclusion and reassurance

---

Summary Flow & Tone

The episode keeps things energetic, humorous, and kid-friendly—often inviting listeners (“Smarty pants!”) to play along with questions and quizzes. The interplay between the narrator, personified Friday, and number 13 weaves facts and folklore together in a lighthearted way. While addressing genuine fears, it reassures listeners with evidence and statistics, fostering curiosity and critical thinking.

Overall, listeners learn:

• Friday the 13th's scary reputation is a mix of myth, superstition, and pop culture.
• Different countries have their own “unlucky” days.
• There’s no scientific reason to fear Friday the 13th or the number 13.
• Even famous people (like Taylor Swift!) embrace 13 as lucky.

Takeaway:
Superstitions make for fun stories, but there’s no reason to let Friday the 13th give you the chills!

Transcript

[A]

As the trusty narrator, I've taken the Smarty pants on countless adventures. I'll do anything for the fans, but off mic, I prefer to keep my adventures in the safe space of my own backyard. However, even a homebody like me can't avoid the unexpected chaos that comes with family life. Take last week, for example. My niece was staying with me when she came down with a nasty cold in the middle of the night. I couldn't leave her alone to get medicine. And that's when I remembered, Doordash is there for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. With a few taps on my phone, I had cough syrup and tissues delivered right to my door. Doordash saved the night, and my niece was back to her energetic self in no time. Oh, and did I order a little ice cream for myself? Yes, I did. And Doordash brought it right to my door. So while I may not be the biggest fan of real life adventures, I'm grateful that Doordash is always there to help me navigate life's little emergencies. When life happens, get a little order delivered with Doordash Order now. Psst. Good morning, smarty pants. I'm feeling great today. First of all, it's Friday, which means tomorrow's the weekend. Do you love Friday, too, smarty pants? I heard a lot of yeses. Yep, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping. It's gonna be a great day. I'll just quickly check my calendar to see what I've scheduled today. Besides recording who smarted, of course.

[B]

Uh.

[A]

Oh. Oh, no. Um, smarty pants, it seems today is not just any Friday. It's a special Friday that some people consider bad luck. Smarty pants, do you know what Friday today is? Is it not so good Friday? Gotta go to the dentist Friday or Friday the 13th? That's right. Today is Friday the 13th. Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. Maybe I should just get back into bed and wait until Saturday.

[B]

Or maybe you just need to relax.

[A]

Um, is my calendar suddenly talking to me?

[B]

That's right. I'm the number 13.

[C]

And I'm Friday.

[B]

And even though the two of us together have long been associated with bad things, trust us, trusty narrator. You don't have any reason to be scared of us.

[A]

Smarty pants. What do you think? Should I trust them? I mean, on one hand, Friday the 13th is just a day like any other, but on the other hand, everyone knows Friday the 13th is bad luck, right? So is Friday the 13th really a bad luck day? Why are so many people afraid of Friday the 13th? And how did the number 13 come to be considered an unlucky number?

[B]

It's a bad rap, I tell ya.

[A]

It's time for another whiff of science and history on who smarted.

[C]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smarted?

[A]

Okay, Smartypants, I'm trying to stay calm here. But not only is Today Friday the 13th, somehow both the number 13 and the day Friday on my calendar are talking to me. Of course, as the narrator of who's Smarted, I'm used to weird things talking to me, but it's still mildly unnerving.

[C]

Relax, narrator. You've got nothing to worry about.

[A]

Yes, Friday. You keep saying that, but I don't know if I should believe you. Smartypants, Does Friday the 13th make you a little nervous? I raise your hand if it does. Uh huh. Yeah, I see some hands up. Trust me, you're not alone. Did you know many people, including adults, cancel travel plans, reschedule doctor or dental appointments, or even miss work due to a fear of Friday the 13th? Whoa. So why is that?

[B]

Well, speaking for myself, I've been considered bad luck for a really long time.

[A]

That's true, 13. So what gave you such a bad reputation?

[B]

There's many different ideas about it, but some people trace it to a Norwegian myth about 12 gods at a dinner party. A 13th guest, who wasn't invited, I might add, showed up to crash the party and, ooh, let's see if the.

[A]

Smarty pants can guess what happened next. Was there A, no problems at all, B, not enough dessert for everyone, or C, a huge fight among the gods that caused the entire world to fall into darkness?

[B]

Yep, it was C. I'm also sometimes considered a cursed number because I come after 12. Many people see 12 as a number that completes things, so I make them uncomfortable because I'm the unknown.

[A]

Makes sense, since there's so many things that come in 12, like months in a year, inches in a foot, pairs of ribs, and the human body, the 12 labors of Hercules, and of course, the 12 days of Christmas.

[C]

Ho, ho, ho.

[B]

But sometimes when you buy donuts or bagels, you get a baker's dozen with an extra. In that case, 13 is suddenly lucky.

[C]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

[B]

But most times, 13 just makes people scared.

[A]

Smarty pants, have you ever been in a really tall building or skyscraper? If so, did you notice if the elevator had a 13th floor button. Chances are it didn't. As many as 85% of the world's skyscrapers do not have have a 13th floor. Whoa. I mean, there is a 13th floor, but the numbers just skip from the 12th floor to the 14th.

[B]

And many airplanes don't have a 13th row.

[C]

Thank you for flying Lucky Airlines. We guarantee a safe trip because there's no unlucky 13th row. Also, we're out of pretzels.

[A]

Some street addresses Skip the number 13, too. And some restaurants don't have a 13th table. How crazy is that?

[B]

You think that's crazy? In Paris, a catarisium French for 14th is a paid 14th dinner guest who is hired to keep a party safe. If There are only 13 guests for.

[C]

Dinner, I'm getting paid to have dinner. This is very lucky for me.

[A]

Wow. What about you, Friday? Why are you considered bad luck?

[C]

It's not fair. You'd think I'd be super popular because I'm the day before the weekend.

[A]

Absolutely. I love Fridays.

[C]

Unfortunately, many cultures consider Friday an unlucky day. For a long time, sailors believed it's bad luck to start a voyage on a Friday. Our great. We're sinking. I told you not to leave on Friday.

[A]

Question, smartypants. What helped Freaky Friday and unlucky 13 here team up to become the ultimate bad luck day? Was it A, a movie, B, a book, or C? If you said a book, you're right. In 1907, Thomas W. Lawson wrote a novel called Friday the Thirteenth. It became a bestseller. And along with its popularity came the belief that Friday the 13th was an unlucky day.

[C]

Wait, everyone hates us because of one book?

[A]

Possibly. So, smarty pants. Are bad things more likely to happen on Friday the 13th than on other days?

[B]

I can answer that. No, it's just a superstition.

[A]

Ah, good word. 13 smartypants, do you know what a superstition is? Is it, A, the belief that something bad or good will happen even if there's no real reason to think it will? B, a tradition that goes back a really long time, or C, a very powerful stition? No, a superstition is not a powerful stition. The answer is, A, a belief that something bad or good will happen, even if there's no real reason to think it will. Classic bad bad superstitions include a broken mirror bringing seven years of bad luck or the fear of black cats.

[C]

The truth is, in the United states, Friday the 13th is believed to be an unlucky day because of superstition.

[A]

Are you saying that only people in the United States Believe in an unlucky day?

[C]

No, I'm saying it's mostly people in the USA that believes Friday the 13th is unlucky.

[A]

Huh?

[C]

In Spain, Tuesday the 13th is the bad luck day. Which makes more sense. Tuesday seems much unluckier than the day right before the weekend, right?

[B]

In Italy, the 17th day of any month is a bad luck day.

[A]

The 17th? What's wrong with the 17th?

[B]

The Roman numeral for 17 can be rearranged to spell V I X I. That means my life is over in Latin.

[A]

Yikes, smarty pants. Should we all be worried about the 17th day of any month? Or Tuesday the 13th instead of Friday the 13th? The answer is no. While some people worry about those dates on the calendar, there's zero proof or evidence that more bad things happen on any of those days.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

Tell em trustee.

[A]

But that probably won't stop people from blaming Friday the 13th if something unlucky happens on that day. Smarty pets, how many times a year does a Friday the 13th occur? Is it A, once, B up to two times, or C up to three times? If you said C up to three times. Good job. Friday the 13th happens up to three times a year, which isn't good news for people who believe it's bad luck.

[B]

That means up to three times a year. Some people will avoid doing certain things based on their fear of bad luck on that day.

[C]

But Friday the 13th is no more unlucky than any other day.

[A]

It might seem a little silly, but there are definitely some people who are really, really afraid of Friday the 13th. They have a condition called Trisky 13. Care to explain? Sure.

[B]

Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of me. The number 13. The word comes from ancient Greek and translates to exactly what it says, fear of the number 13. But honestly, I'm not trying to scare anyone. I'm just a number. The same as any other number. You don't have to skip over me when you count or anything.

[A]

The problem is The Friday the 13th superstition has been around for such a long time and so many people love to bring it up, whether out of fear or just having fun, that it's probably not going anywhere.

[C]

Oh great. Well, at least people like the other 48 to 49 Fridays a year.

[B]

And some people even like me. The number 13. In the late 19th century, Captain William Fowler started a society called the Thirteen Club to help cure people's bad feelings about the number 13.

[A]

Wow, that club sounds pretty cool. I wonder if anyone famous belonged to that club. We'll find out right after this quick break. Hey there homeschool parents. Trusty here and wow. February. Am I right? The days are short, the calendar is packed and you want to keep learning consistent and moving towards spring goals without more stress for you. For your kids, that is where IXL comes in. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into homeschooling. It offers interactive personalized practice across math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. Whether your kids need to reinforce a tricky concept or they're ready to zoom ahead, IXL handles the heavy lifting at your kids pace, including immediate and simple explanations of anything they get wrong so you don't have to be an expert on, well, everything. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now and who SmartEd listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when you sign up today at www.ixl.com smarted. Visit www.ixl.com smartEd to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Hey smarty friends Trusty here. Are you looking for another kids and family podcast that combines humor with learning in a way that captivates? Then check out welcome to Hope Springs. It is the newest audio drama from the Augustine Institute, the award winning team behind the adventures of Nick and Sam and the Trials of St Patrick. Set in the fictional mountain town of Hope Springs, the story follows a close group of friends who spend their days at the old depot, a newly restored train station, until an innocent prank sparks a mystery that stretches across the entire town. Created by award winning writer Paul McCusker, it's packed with humor, adventure and really thoughtful moments of friendship, courage and faith. It's the kind of show that sparks imagination without screens and it's perfect for listening together in the car or at home. Don't miss out. Follow welcome to Hope Springs on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening.

[D]

Now let's do this from the artist that made K Pop, Demon Hunters and Spider Verse. I'm Will Harris and I'm the first small to play professional professional roar ball with the fiercest animals in the most dangerous stadiums and producer Stephen Curry.

[A]

You don't belong here.

[C]

You're too small.

[D]

Wanna bet? You're never too small. Let me show you what I got to dream big. Night Night Goat.

[C]

I need to hear it.

[A]

You goats are weird.

[C]

I like it.

[D]

Ready? PG Parental Guidance suggested. Now playing exclusively in theaters.

[A]

Now back to who smarted the number 13 has long been considered unlucky, but my new friend 13 is about to tell us about a special club from the late 19th century called the Thirteen Club.

[B]

The Thirteen Club tried to get people to stop being afraid of me. After all, I'm just a number. They would have a 13 course dinner on the 13th day of every month.

[A]

Smarty pants, would you love the number 13 if it meant eating your 13 top favorite foods? I know I would.

[B]

They ate this special dinner in room 13 of the Knickerbocker Cottage, which was owned by the club's founder, Captain William Fowler. And would you believe four U.S. presidents were members of the 13 Club. Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison and Theodore Roosevelt were all members.

[A]

Teddy Roosevelt. Nice.

[B]

Unfortunately, his distant cousin, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, or fdr, was so terrified of me, he wouldn't travel on the 13th day of any month or host a dinner with 13 guests.

[A]

Wow. I wonder if any celebrities consider 13 a lucky number.

[B]

I can think of one, and she's one of the biggest stars on the planet.

[A]

Really? Smarty pants? Any ideas which super famous person loves the number 13? Here's a hint.

[B]

Yep, one of my biggest fans is Taylor Swift. Since her birthday is December 13th, she considers 13th her lucky number.

[C]

Oh, and a study from 2008 showed there are actually fewer fires, crimes and car accidents on Friday the 13th. Although that might be because people are more cautious and afraid to travel on that day.

[B]

Smarty pants, we just want you to know that you don't have to be afraid of the number 13 or Friday, whether we're separate or together.

[A]

Exactly. Superstitions are not real and you don't need to worry. But just in case, I think I'll wear my Lucky who Smarted shirt and put on some Taylor Swift. A lucky shout out to Joshua Tanner and Camden in Orem, Utah. No matter the drive, long or short, the first thing you say is, can you play who's Smarted? I'm so glad you love the show and I'm sure your adults enjoy an argument. Free car ride. Thanks, smarty pants. This episode, Friday the 13th was written by Sarah Superstition Sweetig and voiced by Kim Black Cat Davis, Adam Pat the Plain Davis, Max Broken Mirror Kamasky and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Knock on Wood on who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Salt, over the Shoulder Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.