13 Ways to Improve Your Luck on Friday the 13th (2026)
If Friday the 13th makes you uneasy, you may just want to do one of these things to keep bad luck from finding you!
Quick Reference
- Friday the 13th in 2026: three of them. February 13, March 13, and November 13, 2026.
- Fastest ways to improve your luck Friday the 13th: knock on wood, carry an acorn, find a four-leaf clover, cross your fingers.
- Folk-rule origin (the bad-luck side): 13 at the Last Supper, Christ died on a Friday.
- Animals that count as good luck: ladybugs, crickets, dolphins, robins, frogs, kingfishers, storks (19 listed below).
- Reader-agency note: believe what works for you. The Almanac prints the rules; you decide which to honor.
- Sources: Farmers’ Almanac superstition archive, Encyclopaedia Britannica, reader letters across multiple generations.
The granddad of all superstitions, Friday the 13th is perceived as an abnormally ominous day. Many feel that there are numerous incidents and examples in history when a calamity befell someone foolhardy enough to challenge the number 13. Some trace the phobia back to the fact that Christ died on a Friday, and that there were 13 at the Last Supper, one of whom betrayed Jesus. In 2026, the calendar serves up three Fridays the 13th: February 13, March 13, and November 13. Whether you treat each one as an excuse for a careful day or a fun bit of theater, the rules below are the ones the Farmers’ Almanac has printed for generations.
Learn more about the origins and superstitions of Friday the 13th. For a measured outside view, see also the Britannica entry on Friday the 13th.
Whatever you believe, this Friday the 13th, you may just want to do one of these things to keep bad luck from finding you.
13 Ways to Improve Your Luck on Friday the 13th
1. Knock on wood
It was once believed that good spirits lived in trees and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we can call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune. The modern version, knocking the underside of a table or a doorframe after saying something hopeful, comes from the same root.
2. Find a four-leaf clover
Ancient druids believed shamrocks helped them to see evil spirits, providing the opportunity to avoid them. The fourth leaf, the rarer one, was the protection charm. Roughly one clover in 5,000 carries the fourth leaflet, so the find itself is the lucky part. (Read more Irish superstitions.)
3. Wear your clothes inside out
No one seems to know how this superstition originated, but the belief that backward or inside-out clothing brings good luck continues to be widespread, from children wearing their pajamas inside out in hopes of a snow day to baseball players and fans turning their caps inside out during important games.
4. Look at the new Moon over your right shoulder
The Moon is central to many long-held superstitions, and the new Moon is seen as a ripe time for undertaking new enterprises. Whether those enterprises are successful or not depends on whether the new Moon is first seen over the right shoulder (good) or the left (bad). While we may have a full Moon near the 13th this month, our Moon phase calendar shows when the next new Moon arrives.
5. Sleep facing south
The belief that sleeping with your head facing south promotes good health and fortune persists to this day, even among some doctors. The belief seems to be rooted in the Chinese art of feng shui, which attributes a causal connection between geographic placements and the movement of “qi,” or positive spiritual energy.
6. Break clear, uncolored glass
While breaking a mirror is believed to usher in seven years of bad luck, the breaking of clear glass has traditionally been seen as a sign that you have averted some grave misfortune. The glass purportedly takes on the ill fortune in your place.
7. Walk in the rain
Anyone who has ever been caught without an umbrella may dispute this one, but rain has always been a sign of good luck. This is probably because it is so important to the success of crops; before modern irrigation methods were widespread, a rainy season meant the difference between lean years and prosperous ones.
8. Sleep on un-ironed sheets
This is another superstition with uncertain origins. Luckily, few people iron their sheets these days, anyway.
9. Avoid cracks in the sidewalk
Most of us know the old rhyme “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.” Whether the rhyme is the cause of or a result of this superstition is uncertain, though belief in it persists in many people today, even if subconsciously. Come to think of it, avoiding sidewalk cracks is probably a good policy for anyone who wants to avoid tripping.
10. Carry an acorn in your pocket
Acorns, the fruit of the sturdy oak tree, are an ancient symbol of fertility and long life. English folk tradition has women carrying acorns to keep youthful and farmers placing one on a windowsill to ward off lightning. The pocket-acorn version stayed with us the longest.
11. Sneeze three times before breakfast
The number three has been seen as a lucky number in many cultures and religions throughout history. In Europe, where this superstition originated, the number’s association with the Christian trinity is an important association.
12. Pick up a pencil, a pin, a penny, or a piece of coal in the street
Finding, and claiming, any of these items has long been believed to portend good fortune. Some modern versions specify that only a heads-up penny is good luck.
Find a penny
pick it up
and all the day
you’ll have good luck.
13. Keep your fingers crossed
Making the sign of the Christian faith with your fingers is believed to prevent evil spirits from ruining your good fortune. The gesture predates Christianity, though, and shows up in pre-Christian Europe as a way of making a wish “lock in” by holding two fingers together at a crossing point.
Are Animals Lucky Charms?
Animals have long been seen as harbingers of either good or bad luck. Here are just a few animals that are said to foretell good fortune.
- Seeing three sheep
- Crickets singing
- Ladybugs
- A robin flying into your home, on you
- Dolphins swimming near a ship
- A frog inside your home
- A spider spinning in the morning
- A dog (especially a Dalmatian or a greyhound with a white spot on its head)
- A bee landing on your hand or head
- Birds calling from any direction but north
- A bird leaving droppings on your head (yuck, who wants that kind of good luck?)
- Two blackbirds sitting together
- A butterfly inside your house
- A cat sneezing
- Two, three, or four crows
- A lone fox
- A black goat
- A kingfisher
- A stork building a nest on your roof
When Is the Next Friday the 13th?
The Gregorian calendar serves up at least one Friday the 13th every year and never more than three. Here is the rolling list through 2030 for anyone who likes to mark the dates.
| Year | Fridays the 13th |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Feb 13, Mar 13, Nov 13 |
| 2027 | Aug 13 |
| 2028 | Oct 13 |
| 2029 | Apr 13, Jul 13 |
| 2030 | Sep 13, Dec 13 |
Why the Number 13 Got Stuck With Bad Luck
The fear of 13 has a name in psychology, triskaidekaphobia, and the fear of Friday the 13th specifically is paraskevidekatriaphobia. The roots are tangled: the Last Supper had 13 at the table; the Code of Hammurabi (the oldest written code of laws) is missing rule 13 from the original tablet; Norse mythology blames the 13th guest (Loki) for the death of Balder. The Almanac’s own folklore archive has letters from readers going back generations who can recite at least one of those reasons by heart. The reasons matter less than the habit. Once a culture flags a day as ominous, even cautious people drive more carefully on it, and the data on traffic accidents on Friday the 13th has varied year to year accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I improve my luck on Friday the 13th?
The simplest folk methods are to knock on wood, carry an acorn in your pocket, cross your fingers, and look for a four-leaf clover. The 13 ways above are the rules the Farmers’ Almanac has carried for generations.
When is the next Friday the 13th in 2026?
The calendar serves up three in 2026: February 13, March 13, and November 13.
Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
Most folklore traces it to the 13 at the Last Supper and Christ’s crucifixion on a Friday. Norse mythology pins it on Loki as the unwelcome 13th guest at a banquet. The earliest written code of laws also skips rule 13.
Are any animals considered lucky charms?
Yes. Folklore lists ladybugs, crickets, a robin on you, frogs in the house, dolphins by a ship, kingfishers, and a stork on the roof among the lucky sightings. See the 19-item list above.
Is it really unlucky to break a mirror?
Folk tradition says seven years. Breaking clear uncolored glass, by contrast, is said to have averted a different bad fate, with the glass absorbing the misfortune in your place.
What is the fear of Friday the 13th called?
Paraskevidekatriaphobia for the specific day. Triskaidekaphobia for the number 13 itself. Both are recognized phobia terms; neither rests on evidence that the day is more dangerous than any other.
Related Articles
Still feeling unlucky? Here are 13 (More) Ways to Improve Your Luck this Friday the 13th.
When Is The Next Friday The 13th? Find out.
Why Friday The 13th Is Believed To Be Unlucky
Join The Discussion
Do you believe any of these superstitions?
Let us know in the comments below.
Jaime McLeod
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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- Jaime McLeod
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- Jaime McLeod
I once won a door prize with a ticket ending in 13. Just sayin’
I consider Friday 13th a good luck day, it’s the day after, Saturday the 14th that things usually go awry. Because how my bedroom is set up, my head is always facing south. I’ve had many a black cat cross my path, all the ones I’ve owned over the decades. I always pick up pennies regardless if it’s heads or not, I’m lucky to have found it in the first place. I guess I more believe in reverse superstition than typical superstition.
As a Christian the fact that Jesus died on a Fri. and the 13 at the last supper would be far from being bad luck. This is a blessing for all as through Jesus’ death He provided a way for all to come to Him for forgiveness of our sins and gain eternal life. Praise God He is Risien indeed.
AMEN!!!
Had a good day nothing broke got planting done didn’t spill the red cabbage or the orange calflower
Thank you for not talking about bad luck animals
Born on Friday, 13,December. ,1957, .would have to say my life has been basically good.
oh wow my birthday is also December 13th,but different year (2009)
My birthday is 10-13 and my sister is 10-12!
Tmr is Friday the 13th I wrote all this down and ill show my friends this at school tmr thanks sooooo much
I and my friends walked through rain today
What about the lucky number 7? Anybody?? Ive never had luck with it.