There Will Be 3 Friday the 13ths in 2026—The First Time in Over a Decade

If you woke up this morning feeling a sense of dread, you're not alone.

Today, Friday, February 13, is the first Friday the 13th of the year. It's the first in a total of three that happens in 2026. There's also one in March and November.

For many, the date carries with it an ominous reputation, with some believing it brings bad luck. There's even a name for those who fear the day—friggatriskaidekaphobia.

According to EarthSky.org, Fridays in general have always been viewed as taboo. In the Middle Ages, people would not marry or set out on a journey on a Friday.

In Christianity, Jesus was said to be crucified on a Friday, and 13 people at a table was seen as bad luck because Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is said to have been the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Also, our word for Friday comes from Frigga, the ancient Scandinavian fertility and love goddess. Christians called Frigga a witch and Friday the witches’ Sabbath.

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But most people associate it with the horror movie franchise, Friday the 13th, which feeds further into the day's superstitious legacy.

The fact that 2026 has three Friday the 13ths is just a fluke, though. Whenever a year of 365 days starts on a Thursday, like 2026, the months of February, March, and November will inevitably start on a Sunday, and any month starting on a Sunday always has a Friday the 13th, EarthSky.org explains.

The last time this happened was 11 years ago in 2015. It will happen again 11 years from now in 2037. Next year, there's only one Friday the 13th on August 13, 2027.