Are you afraid of the number 13? (Pixabay)

Friday the 13th and World Kindness Day collide in 2020

Two very different days collide – because that truly is on brand for 2020

  • Nov. 13, 2020 12:00 a.m.

Political turmoil, murder hornets – not to mention a global pandemic – has left many hoping 2020 comes to a quick end.

It’s no surprise that social media has been buzzing this week as this Friday marks Nov. 13 – a notoriously superstitious day for bad luck. This marks the second time the 13th day of a month has landed on a Friday this year, the last being back in March.

How did the day come about to be so feared?

Here’s a brief history, which does vary slightly from crowd to crowd: According to some historians, the day is linked to a Norse myth about 12 gods at a dinner party. The trickster god, named Loki, wasn’t invited to the party but showed up anyway, making him the 13th guest who also arranged for the death of one of the gods.

In pop culture, Jason Voorhees has taken over much of the narrative for Friday the 13th. The iconic hockey mask has become a highly recognizable image, not to mention the key costume of a 12-movie slasher franchise.

But this Friday the 13th slightly differs from years past because it falls on World Kindness Day – which also feels rather fitting in 2020.

The commemorative day, which was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement – a group of non-governmental organizations – is intended to be dedicated to doing an act of kindness and spread love.

Today, World Kindness Day is celebrated in 28 countries across the world, including in Canada.


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