Today is Friday the 13th. To be more specific, today is Friday, October 13. It’s arguably the unluckiest day of the spookiest season, so if you’re like me and it makes you want to curl up under a blanket with scary movies or Charlotte ghost stories, then let’s get our flashlights and campfires ready.
Why is Friday the 13th so unlucky?
The history of the unlucky Friday the 13th reputation depends on who you ask. First, let’s examine the number 13:
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According to Smithsonian Magazine, the origins of the unlucky number 13 could be connected to the Last Supper, where Judas, who would go on to betray Jesus, was guest number 13 at the dinner party.
Or it’s possible the number feels so unlucky due to another infamous meal: An old Norse myth tells the story of Loki being the 13th guest at a dinner in Valhalla. That evening ended with the death of Balder, god of joy.
OK, but why Friday?
Back to Judas and his betrayal: Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Smithsonian Magazine states. Also, Adam ate the apple on a Friday. And Cain killed Abel on a Friday, reports the History Channel.
Fridays have also been considered unlucky days to begin a journey, go out to sea, get married or start new projects, according to the Library of Congress.
Combine the two days together and you get friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th, according to NPR, which also tells you how to pronounce the word (which may cure your fear of the day!).
But what if you don’t want to be cured? If you’d rather just lean in, let’s go:
After a tunnel collapse under the First Presbyterian Church in Uptown during the Civil War killed Ambrose he decided to hang around the building as the resident ghost. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
After a tunnel collapse under the First Presbyterian Church in Uptown during the Civil War killed Ambrose he decided to hang around the building as the resident ghost. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Alexander Michael’s has been a Fourth Ward bar and eatery for more than 30 years, but the building has been around since 1897. People have reported paranormal activity, hearing their names called softly by disembodied voices or feeling as if they had been grabbed when no one was there. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Fire Station number 4 was originally built back in 1925. The story behind the haunting begins 1934, when a firefighter running to slide down the fireman’s pole and fractured his skull. When the building was a museum visitors would often comment on his appearance, which was more often than not, accompanied by the distinctive scent of his cigar smoke! By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Built in 1915 by Zebulon V. Taylor, and originally known as Lynwood Mansion, the Duke Mansion in Myers Park has long since had a reputation as a haunted location. Apparently it is haunted by one of the past owners Mr. Avery. His story his full of love and affairs.
Cheyenne Schultz Photography<br/>Duke Mansion
The Tryon House apartment building is one of Uptown’s oldest continuously operating apartment buildings. Paranormal activity in the building is believed to stem from a fire that occurred back in the 1940s the engulfed the building and killed residents. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Where McGlohon Theatre now sits was once the site of a church, built in the late 1800s. The building now houses Fred, resident specter. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Where McGlohon Theatre now sits was once the site of a church, built in the late 1800s. The building now houses Fred, resident specter. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
People call it the Bootlegger House because of the numerous hidden rooms and compartments that were once used to hide black-market alcohol during Prohibition. The current owner has personally experienced a wide range of paranormal activity. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Rí Rá Irish Pub is located in Uptown’s second oldest building. Staff claims there are six unique in-house ghosts. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Founders Hall is a large atrium and event space located in the Bank of America Corporate Center in Uptown Charlotte. In the early 1800s, Founders Hall served as a medical school. Supposedly they used stolen cadavers at the school. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Old Settlers’ Cemetery is proof that Charlotte has history. The oldest marked grave is that of Joel Baldwin, who died in 1776, and the most recent burial is from 1878. it isn’t uncommon to find mysterious altars or orbs found in pictures there. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
Old Settlers’ Cemetery is proof that Charlotte has history. The oldest marked grave is that of Joel Baldwin, who died in 1776, and the most recent burial is from 1878. it isn’t uncommon to find mysterious altars or orbs found in pictures there. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
The Cajun Queen, a converted restaurant on Seventh Street, once housed an older woman who died in her home. The staff believes she never left. Some say she isn’t happy about the noisy restaurant, but others argue all she wants is a drink. By John D. SimmonsThe Charlotte Observer
Sisters Temerrian Straite-Cuthbertson (left) and Anita Taylor, natives of Charlotte, head into the Cajun Queen for an evening of food and conversation. By John D. Simmonsjsimmons@charlotteobserver.com
The Carolina Theatre opened on March 7, 1927 and closed in 1978. Movies weren’t the only entertainment at the Carolina: It also boasts a resident ghost who members of staff have affectionately dubbed ‘Fred’. He is mostly harmless, but Fred is known to show himself as a pale white apparition on the balcony. (1970) The Charlotte Observer
Three ghosts are said to haunt the 90-year-old Carolina Theatre in Charlotte. By Diedra Lairddlaird@charlotteobserver.com
Visitors look at the interior of the closed Carolina Theatre building during an April 2017 walk-through. By Diedra Lairddlaird@charlotteobserver.com
Details of a wall mural can still be seen on some of the interior walls of the closed Carolina Theatre. By Diedra Lairddlaird@charlotteobserver.com
Visitors look at the interior of the closed Carolina Theatre building during an April 2017 walk-through. By Diedra Lairddlaird@charlotteobserver.com
Construction on the revamp of the more than a century-old Carolina Theatre is continuing, but the planned Intercontinental Hotel that will sit atop it has been put on hold. By David T. Foster IIIdtfoster@charlotteobserver.com
1931 photo of the old Carolina Theatre. City Council members and other city officials took a tour of the old Carolina Theatre on Wednesday October 10, 2012 to get an idea of how much of the aging structure remains for redevelopment. Two plans are on the table for the site, which is owned by the city. DIEDRA LAIRD - dlaird@charlotteobserver.com Courtesy Carolina Theatre
City officials took a tour of the old Carolina Theatre in 2012 to get an idea of how much of the aging structure could be redeveloped. Reovations are still underway. By DIEDRA LAIRDCharlotte Observer
Latta Plantation is a historic 1800s cotton plantation located in Huntersville, which is about 25 minutes north of Charlotte. The spirits of the Latta family, the original owners of the home, are still thought to inhabit the house today. Courtesy of Historic Latta Plantation
Parents and kids at the All Hallows Eve Family Day event Saturday at Latta Plantation.Children dressed in their best Halloween costumes and trick-or-treated around the Latta Plantation while playing games, seeing storytelling and historical demonstrations, and meeting farm animals. ChildrenÕs costume awards were given during costume contests to The Best Historical Character, The Best Classical Storybook Character, The Best Farm Animal Costume, and The Most Creative Costume, among others. By Diedra Lairddlaird@charlotteobserver.com
The Historic Rosedale Plantation is one of Charlotte’s oldest houses at 200-years-old. The ghost of Louise Heagy Davidson, who followed her husband to Rosedale in 1918, is still believed to roam the property. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
The Historic Rosedale Plantation is one of the most haunted places in Charlotte, according to members of the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society. By Lorena Rios TrevinoThe Charlotte Observer
By GARY O'BRIEN
The Dunhill Hotel is the oldest hotel in Charlotte at nearly a hundred years. Despite the hotel being renovated since the discovery of a corpse in the 80’s people say the place is still haunted. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
When the Dunhill Hotel was being renovated to a hotel in the 80’s they found a skeleton at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Supposedly the unknown individual still roams the hotel halls to this day. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
The McNinch House is an 1892 Queen Anne-style home located on North Church Street and is now a restaurant. The home is the center of numerous ghost stories, but depending on which tour you go on or who you talk to you may hear different versions. By Makayla Holdermholder@charlotteobserver.com
CAPTION
Photos: Haunted Charlotte
How to celebrate Friday, Oct. 13 in Charlotte
Check out our list of free and cheap things to do in the Charlotte area over the next week, including tonight’s Petty Thieves Brewing’s party, with costumes, spooky music and haunted stories.
Make the party last all season long, with Chyna’s guide to spooky season in Charlotte. On her list: The Black Lagoon Pop-up at Backstage Lounge, which is currently a dark, dungeon-like space with skulls, coffins and more.
Black Lagoon at Backstage Lounge is an immersive and innovative Halloween pop-up experience with special decor, drinks and more. Shrimp & Grisettes
Go to a haunted bar: Hang out with a ghost at Devil’s Logic Brewing, Boudreaux’s, Alexander Michael’s or one of the other haunted restaurants or breweries we have featured.
Head to haunted Sanctuary Pub on Friday the 13th — if you dare. Nicole Rojas Queens University News Service
Watch a scary movie: Go to the Belmont Drive-In for showings of “The Haunted Mansion” and “Friday the 13th.” Or head to Ayrsley Grand Cinema 14 for $5 showings of “Donnie Darko” or “The Evil Dead.”
Melissa Oyler is the editor of CharlotteFive. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find her running, practicing hot yoga, weightlifting or snuggling with her rescue dogs, X and Charlie. Find her on Instagram or X: @melissaoyler.Support my work with a digital subscription
