Friday the 13th may be an unlucky day by many superstitious standards, but it has become known as a lucrative one in the ink industry.
Just as with pumpkins at Halloween and turkeys at Thanksgiving, tattoos have become the American symbol of a day that is otherwise associated with bad omens and avoiding black cats or breaking mirrors. Like any bit of folk wisdom, tracking down the origins behind the unlucky number 13 and the even more specifically Friday the 13th are difficult. Likewise, the proliferation of the cheap ink tradition carries its own shroud of mystery and uncertainty.
That said, the act of warding off bad luck by adorning your body with a “13” design or another piece of art is a much more recent cultural phenomena than triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13.
So, while historians continue to ponder the perhaps biblical, perhaps violent or even simply mathematic reasoning behind the Western aversion to Friday the 13th, those of us interested in tattoos can look at the more recent past to find out how, exactly, tattoos and the 13th became synonymous.
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What is Friday the 13th?
In Western culture, Friday the 13th is associated with the idea of unluckiness. At least once a year, the Gregorian calendar sees the 13th day of the month falling on a Friday, though it can sometimes come three times in one year.
As with many superstitions and traditions, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the belief. Some historians say the number 13 originally became an “unlucky” number thanks to biblical references. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, for example.
Christ was likewise crucified on a Friday in the Bible, drawing an association between the day and catastrophe. Yet another theory dates back to 1307, when the French king gave orders on Friday the 13th to arrest hundreds of Knights Templar who were later executed.
No matter how it began, the number 13 has been synonymous with bad omens in Western culture for many years. Of course, the cult-classic horror movie franchise featuring Jason Voorhees hasn’t helped since the 1980s.
What is Friday the 13th?Why people may be superstitious about the day
Why is Friday the 13th associated with tattoos?
Friday the 13th has become something of a Black Friday for tattoo shops. Many shops run special promotions charging steeply discounted prices to get work done, often for a flat rate at or even under shop minimum (the minimum fee a shop will usually charge on a tattoo to cover the cost of the basic supplies and overhead).
The average hourly price most artists charge is between $100 to $200 plus, making these flash sales a great deal. While affordable predesigned flash tattoos and flash sales are not uncommon practices throughout the rest of the calendar year, Friday the 13th is the one day you can depend on finding a wealth of markdowns at multiple shops near you.
The ability to pick a shop, walk right in without an appointment and choose a fun design, then sit for a relatively short and easy piece that costs far less than usual attracts heavily tattooed people and newbies alike.
People with many tattoos use the day as a quick and affordable means to fill a small gap in their sleeve or add to their collection between big projects, while people new to tattoos can walk in and navigate a new experience that is already largely pre-planned. Of course, there’s always the added bonus of having what has become something of a good luck charm to combat the bad vibes that apparently come with the number 13.
While some businesses see the day as an opportunity to make connections, get more people in the door and more eyes on their work, other artists choose not to participate due to what they see as an undervaluing of their labor thanks to low pay and long days of churning out many copies of cheap, unoriginal art.
How did the tradition of tattoos on Friday the 13th start?
The modern model for Friday the 13th as a tattoo holiday is often credited back to co-owner of Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas Oliver Peck, who you may recognize from TV show “Ink Master” and his brief marriage to Kat Von D (he has since been remove from the show due to a blackface controversy).
Peck previously told Vice that he “definitely wasn’t the first person to do it,” saying he drew some inspiration from fellow artist Dave Lum’s Halloween specials, but that he did “make it an event.” He threw his first major Friday the 13th function in 1995 at the now-defunct Pair O’ Dice in Dallas, a marathon session of tattooing the number “13” on as many people as possible in a 24-hour period.
His swing at creating his own tradition caught on, as he and his co-workers began hosting these 24-hour tattoathons each year, at one point winning a spot in Guinness Book of World Records for tattooing the number 13 on 415 people in 24 hours on Friday, June 13, 2008. While many tattoos done on this day still feature the number somewhere in the design, it is far from mandatory and plenty of artists and shops now branch out into different themes.
However, the presence of the unlucky 13 in tattoo stencils and pieces well predates the 1990s. Before heavy ink was associated with being a rock musician or a criminal in the U.S., it originally conjured images of sailors, who were well known for ornamenting their skin starting in the 18th century.
Having seen the practice performed by peoples native to other continents and countries they sailed to, the mariners took a liking to this cultural practice and brought news and demonstrations of it back to the Western world. While the actual tradition of tattooing dates back much further than the 18th century, it was around this time that sailors and ink were closely associated.
It’s speculated that these sailors, known to be a superstitious bunch, already knew about the unlucky nature of the number 13 and, in some form of tattoo reverse psychology, would have the number etched into their skin as a means of warding off the bad luck.
What to know if you want to get a tattoo on Friday the 13th
Be ready to wait: Most tattoo shops offering Friday the 13th deals operate on a walk-in basis for the day, meaning you won’t be able to make an appointment in advance. You are likely to have to wait in a line once you arrive, so be prepared.
Prepare to pick a design: Tattoos offered as part of Friday the 13th events are usually predesigned and laid out on what is called a flash sheet, or a collection of relatively simple and small images you can choose from. Often, these designs are in a traditional or neotradional style — think Sailor Jerry — and are themed for the day with the number “13” somewhere in the sketch.
Choose an appropriate placement: Once you’re there, it’s as simple as picking a design off the sheet and waiting your turn. Usually, these deals are for tattoos on the arms or legs only and are about the size of a quarter dollar up to the inner palm of your hand. Some shops also participate in a “get what you pick” style game where you pull a number or insert a coin into a gumball-style machine and commit to getting the tattoo you pick out.
Expect it to be crowded: The shop is likely to be crowded and full of artists working quickly on the day, so don’t expect a private workstation or to spend a ton of time bonding with your tattooist. Due to the simplicity and small size of the pieces, your session will likely be quick, lasting roughly 10 minutes to half an hour.
Wear proper attire: Some shops see thousands of customers in a single day on Friday the 13th, so if you want to be one of their favorite clients of the day, be prepared for efficiency. Make sure you wear clothing that allows easy access to the area you want tattooed, that you come hydrated, with a full stomach and with clean, showered skin.
Be ready when it’s your turn: Expect to wait but also be prepared to select your tattoo and tell the artist what you want when you sit down. Check ahead of time for what kind of payment methods the shop prefers; while many artists accept services like Venmo, some businesses may have different payment instructions for this hectic day.
Pro tip: Tip! Finally, the supreme rule is to tip! While you should always tip the person doing your tattoo, bear in mind that on this day they are seeing way more clients than usual for much, much cheaper than they would usually charge. Because of this, some tattooists find the tradition stressful, so a healthy tip is a great way to show appreciation for their hard work.
