Learn About Holiday Lore With Friday the 13th Activities

Friday the 13th isn’t officially a holiday, but it can spark excitement, curiosity, and maybe a little superstition in the classroom. You can use this interest to introduce engaging reading and writing activities that explore the lore and history behind this day.

By linking cultural traditions with classroom learning through Friday the 13th activities, you can help students see how stories, beliefs, and history intersect.

Jump to:

• Is Friday the 13th actually unlucky?
• What is triskaidekaphobia, and how is it related to Friday the 13th?

[Is Friday the 13th actually unlucky?](id-luck)

Friday the 13th has a reputation as the unluckiest day of the year, but is that belief justified? Some researchers suggest that the fear of this date may actually create self-fulfilling prophecies.

Students can ponder these ideas by completing the following activity:

• Share a video on the self-fulfilling prophecy of luck and how it’s influenced by perception.
• Assign an article exploring how the fear of Friday the 13th began.
• Have students use research from both sources to answer the question “To what extent is the fear of Friday the 13th a self-fulfilling prophecy?”

Try the activity on Newsela Writing to help students get real-time feedback as they craft their responses.

[What is triskaidekaphobia, and how is it related to Friday the 13th?](id-fear)

Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13, and it often contributes to anxieties about Friday the 13th. Understanding this connection helps students analyze cultural and psychological phenomena with the following activity:

• Assign readings about the fear of the number 13 and the date Friday the 13th. Students can use the annotation feature within the articles to highlight important facts from each article.
• Show a video about the compare and contrast reading strategy. 
• Have students complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the differences in the fear of Friday the 13th and Triskidekaphobia.

Newsela Products Aren’t Superstitious, Just Super Engaging!

Even on a day known for superstition, Newsela ELA ensures students stay engaged with high-quality instructional materials. From literature selections to interactive videos, the platform makes exploring topics like Friday the 13th both fun and educational.

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