What is a Friday the 13th tattoo and where did the tradition come from?

UNLUCKY day Friday the 13th is not so unlucky for tattoo lovers as many artists offer discounted ink.

Tattoo fans see Friday the 13th as a Black Friday but not for the bad luck associated with it – this is a day of discounts and getting spooky tattoos.

What is a Friday the 13th tattoo?

Friday the 13th is so scary for some that it even has an official phobia name – paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.

The number is seen as unlucky across the world, with franchises like the Friday the 13th film series tapping into this superstition.

Many anticipate a day full of bad luck, so you would think people would avoid getting permanently inked.

But in the tattoo world, the number 13 is considered to be a symbol of good luck.

It is thought that having a 13 tattooed on you would encourage bad luck to pass you by.

Many artists use Friday the 13th as a perfect opportunity to ink clients, often at a discounted price.

Why do people get tattooed on Friday 13th?

Popularized by tattoo artist Oliver Peck in Dallas, Friday the 13th tattoos are a major event at parlors across the country.

The "holiday" entailed a themed flash sheet – a group of designs to choose from but traditionally not open for modification – which were cheap enough for those struggling with money to be able to get a cool new ink.

The prices vary by shop, but many offer the tattoo for $13 with a mandatory $7 tip.

Across the globe, artists have taken up this tradition although not all stick to the $13 rule.

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Traditionally the flash sheet includes spooky or ghoulish designs such as black cats, blood, coffins, a hockey mask.

But of course, they usually have the number 13 featured within them.

Now the day has become one of the busiest of the year for tattoo parlors.

Where did the tradition come from?

Oliver Peck started DIY-tattooing himself and friends in 1988, then professionally in 1991, and threw his first big Friday the 13th shindig in 1995 at the now shuttered Pair O' Dice shop in Dallas. 

"I definitely wasn't the first person to do it, the number 13 tattoo on the Friday the 13th," says Oliver Peck, of Elm St. Tattoo in Dallas.

"But, I definitely made it an event." 

Peck says Elm Street expects to tattoo around 1,200 customers on this or any Friday the 13th. 

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They now host a 24-hour tattoo marathon every Friday the 13th, midnight to midnight on the unlucky day.

While there is pre-registration for the event, you can just join the walk-in line and try your luck.

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