2026 has three Friday the 13ths
For those in the ag community who are superstitious, or even just a little bit stitious, Friday is the 13th day of February.
And as (bad) luck would have it, there are superstitions related to agriculture.
One is to avoid the number 13 at all costs.
This includes not working on the 13th day of the month and making sure to raise animals in numbers greater or fewer than 13.
Other beliefs pertain to certain plants, livestock, or ag products.
Take eggs, for example.
It’s believed witches use eggshells as boats.
To prevent that from happening, it’s recommended eggshells are broken completely.
A certain flower is considered unlucky for Friday the 13th.
That flower is hawthorn because it’s believed to invite illness or death into the home.
And its scent is said to remind people of the plague.
Corn isn’t without its superstitions.
A jar of dried corn placed near a windowsill, for example, is believed to invite wealth into the home.
Making a corn doll out of previously harvested stalks helps provide a home for the spirit of the crop. But allowing mice to eat the doll could bring bad luck for the next harvest.
And if you see corn kernels on the road, that means company is coming. If you brush the kernels away the visitor will be a stranger.
Multiple superstitions pertain to dairy.
Sticking red-hot iron into the butter churn helps prevent witches from spoiling milk.
Churning butter during a thunderstorm would result in white butter.
And borrowing or lending milk after sunset was believed to reduce a cow’s milk yield.
Here are some other ag related superstitions:
- Carving “yes” and “no” into onions and seeing which one sprouted first was a method of asking for advice.
- A pea pod with one pea is considered lucky. If a pod has nine peas, you should make a wish and throw the ninth pea over your shoulder.
- Eating blackberries after Sept. 29 is bad luck because the devil spits on them that day.
- An ancient Egyptian pregnancy test saw women urinate on bags of wheat and barley. If the wheat sprouted, she was having a girl while sprouting barley meant a boy.
- In Japan during Setsubun celebrations, people throw soybeans at devil masks to drive away bad luck.
- Eating pork on New Year’s Day is considered good luck because pigs root forward with their snouts.
Why is Friday the 13th considered spooky anyway?
In part because of religion.
In Christianity, for example, 13 guests attended the Last Supper. The 13th guest, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus, who was crucified on a Friday.
In Norse mythology, 12 gods attended a dinner. Loki, the god of mischief, arrived as the 13th guest and tricked a blind god into shooting and killing Baldur, a god of light.
There are two more Friday the 13ths in 2026 in March and November.