Black cats. Ladders. The number 13 staring you down from the calendar. For most people, Friday the 13th is a day to stay in bed. For the tattoo world, it’s basically a holiday. So grab a coffee, knock on wood, and let your local friend in Pacific Beach walk you through where this spooky date came from, why tattooers love it, and what to think about before you get inked or pierced on it.
Mark your calendar: the next Friday the 13th is Friday, November 13, 2026. It’s the third one this year, after February and March. After that, you’re waiting until August 13, 2027. And this time, Sideshow is in on the fun: $50 tattoos from our pre-drawn flash and $50 piercings on Friday, November 13. Details at the bottom. Keep scrolling.
Where Did Friday the 13th Even Come From?
Here’s the twist. The superstition isn’t ancient. It’s more of a mash-up.
On their own, Friday and the number 13 have both had a bad rap for a long time. In Christian tradition, 13 people sat at the Last Supper, and the crucifixion happened on a Friday. That’s where the old “never seat 13 at a table” superstition is believed to come from. Fear of the number 13 even has its own name: triskaidekaphobia. Fear of Friday the 13th specifically gets an even bigger mouthful: paraskevidekatriaphobia. Try saying that three times fast. Actually, don’t.
Folklorists at the Library of Congress found that the earliest clear references to an unlucky Friday the 13th come from French writing in 1834. By the mid-1800s, the idea was common in France, and it drifted to America later in the century. In 1882, a New York group called the Thirteen Club held its first dinner for 13 people on Friday, January 13, just to thumb its nose at bad luck. Then a 1907 novel, Friday, the Thirteenth, by Thomas W. Lawson, helped spread the idea. A horror movie franchise later sealed the deal.
The Knights Templar Legend (Emphasis on Legend)
You’ve probably heard this one. On Friday, October 13, 1307, officers of King Philip IV of France arrested hundreds of Knights Templar. That part is real history. Many Templars were later executed.
The legend says that day is why Friday the 13th is unlucky. Some versions even add that the Templar grand master, Jacques de Molay, put a curse on the date. Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code gave the story a big boost. Historians aren’t buying it, though. The Library of Congress folklorists point out that nobody seems to have linked 1307 to the superstition until the 20th century. National Geographic has also called the connection a myth. So enjoy it as campfire material. Just don’t put it in your history homework.
How Friday the 13th Became a Tattoo Holiday
Now for the fun part. Somewhere along the way, tattooers looked at the “unluckiest” day on the calendar and said: let’s throw a party.
The modern Friday the 13th tattoo tradition is widely credited to Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas, Texas, the shop that turned it into a 24-hour event in the mid-1990s. Accounts differ on whether the first one was in 1995 or 1996. On Friday, June 13, 2008, that same shop reportedly tattooed the number 13 on 415 people in a single day, which landed in Guinness World Records according to reporting at the time. From there the idea spread to shops all over the country and beyond.
The classic setup works like this. A shop puts out a special flash sheet, which is a page of pre-drawn designs you pick from as-is. The designs are usually small, often around the size of a silver dollar. The traditional price was $13 plus a $7 “lucky” tip, for a total of $20. These days, prices vary a lot from shop to shop and year to year. Reporters have described the day as Black Friday for tattoos, with lines forming before the doors open. And because a Friday can land on the 13th up to three times in one year, the tattoo world gets more than one shot at it. Just like 2026, which got three.
Here’s a cool bit of history. One shop owner who has run these events told Slate that the day feels like the closest thing to how tattooing used to be: walk in, pick something off the wall, sit down, get tattooed. Pretty great vibe. It’s quick, it’s affordable, and it’s a fun way to meet new people in line.
The Greatest Hits: Classic Friday the 13th Designs
What ends up on those flash sheets? Reporting on these events and roundups of past flash sheets keep naming the same crowd favorites. Here’s the lineup, local-friend style:
- The number 13. The star of the show. Solo, in a banner, or tucked into a bigger design.
- Black cats. Superstition’s favorite pet. Arched back, curled tail, or just a smug little head. Bonus points if you actually own one.
- Broken mirrors. Seven years of bad luck? Not if you wear it. Shattered glass is a fun one to flip.
- Ladders. Walking under one is supposedly a no-no. Getting one tattooed? Totally fine.
- Horseshoes. A classic luck symbol, often paired with a 13. Lucky and “unlucky” in one tiny design.
- Dice. Pure luck, pure chance, and one of the oldest looks in traditional tattooing. Flaming dice if you’re feeling bold.
- Skulls. Timeless. Literally.
- Coffins, tombstones, ghosts and bats. Spooky season, any month of the year. Cute ghost or creepy ghost, your call.
- Spiders and spiderwebs. Elbow web, anyone?
- Hockey masks and other horror-movie nods. A wink to slasher fans without needing the whole movie on your arm.
- Daggers, roses, hearts and swallows. Old-school traditional staples, often with a 13 worked into the banner.
- Snakes, moons and other mystic bits. A little witchy, a lot fun.
Most of these are small, bold designs an artist can finish in one sitting. That’s the whole point. Pick one, sit down, walk out with a story.
Lucky 13: Why Tattoo a “Bad Luck” Number?
So why would anyone put the unluckiest number on their body forever? Glad you asked.
There’s a popular story in tattoo culture that sailors used to get “13” tattooed as a kind of charm. The idea, as one veteran tattooer explained it to Vice: bad luck shows up, sees the 13, figures bad luck is already there and moves on. Is that how luck works? No idea. Is it a great story? Absolutely.
For a lot of people, a 13 tattoo is really about flipping the script. You take the thing everyone’s scared of and own it. Some wear it as a lucky number. Some were born on the 13th. Some just think it looks cool. All valid.
And if a full design isn’t your thing, there’s piercing. There’s no special “Friday the 13th piercing” tradition that we know of. But a lot of people like to mark the date with a new piece of jewelry, especially a small one that’s easy to heal. Your call.
Before You Go: Smart Tips for a Lucky Day
Here’s your friendly reality check. You don’t need luck to get a great tattoo. You need good choices.
- Pick a design you’ll still love later. A flash piece is small, but it’s still permanent.
- Eat first and sleep well. Coming in hungry or exhausted makes the session harder.
- Don’t get tattooed or pierced while impaired. No alcohol beforehand. It’s not a vibe, and a reputable artist won’t work on you anyway.
- Bring ID. Expect to show it.
- Ask about jewelry. For piercings, ask what the jewelry is made of. Implant-grade titanium is a solid choice for fresh piercings.
- Follow aftercare to the letter. Keep it clean, keep it out of the sun, and keep it out of the ocean until your artist or piercer says it’s healed. Yes, even in PB. Especially in PB.
Friday, November 13 at Sideshow: $50 Tattoos and $50 Piercings
Okay, here’s the good stuff. On Friday, November 13, 2026, Sideshow Tattoo and Piercing is celebrating the “unluckiest” day of the year with:
- $50 tattoos from pre-drawn flash designs laid out in the shop. Come in, browse the art, pick your favorite, and get tattooed. Easy.
- $50 piercings. Got a piercing on your wish list? This is your sign. Check with the shop on jewelry options when you come in.
Doors open at 11am, and we’re open late. Friday hours run to midnight. Walk-ins are welcome, so swing by whenever works for you. Lunch break? After work? After the beach? All good.
You’ll find us at 1062 Garnet Ave in Pacific Beach, a short walk from the sand. Our piercers use implant-grade titanium jewelry and handle everything from first-time lobes to advanced body piercing. And if you’re dreaming bigger than a flash piece, consultations are always free. Bring your idea and we’ll talk it through.
Regular hours, for the planners: Monday–Tuesday 11am–8pm; Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 11am–10pm; Friday–Saturday 11am–midnight.
Questions? Call (858) 274-8282 or check out sideshowtattooandpiercing.com for our artists, styles and aftercare guides. See you on the 13th. Good luck is nice, but a good artist and solid aftercare are better.
