Nearly one in five Americans believe Friday the 13th brings bad luck

Story at a glance

• A recent YouGov poll asked Americans whether they believed in commonly held superstitions, ranging from walking under a ladder to opening an umbrella indoors to black cats.

• Around 19 percent of Americans polled said they think Friday the 13th brings bad luck, while another 15 percent said they are not sure.

• Nearly two-thirds of adults polled said the ominous sounding date is not a predictor of one’s luck.

It is Friday the 13^th, and about one in five Americans think the day brings on bad luck.

A recent YouGov poll asked Americans whether they believed in commonly held superstitions, ranging from walking under a ladder to opening an umbrella indoors to black cats.

Around 19 percent of Americans polled said they think Friday the 13^th brings bad luck, while another 15 percent said they are not sure. Nearly two-thirds of adults polled said the ominous sounding date is not a predictor of one’s luck.

More Americans, according to the poll, are likely to say walking under a ladder, broken mirrors, and the number 666 are bad luck than any other superstition listed – including the 13^th floor, stepping on a crack and even owls.

The poll found the group of Americans most likely to say they are superstitious are Catholics, followed by people with a family income of more than $100k, people who live in cities and those who live in the Northeast.

YouGov also asked which good luck scenarios Americans believed, finding adults polled were more likely to believe in these superstitions than in bad luck situations.

Making a wish while blowing out birthday candles or seeing a shooting star are the good luck scenarios Americans are most likely to believe – with 28 percent apiece saying either situation brings good luck.

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The least likely groups to say they are superstitious identify as either atheist or agnostic.

YouGov measured the online responses of 1,000 U.S. adults from April 26 to 30, 2022.

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