8 Scary Friday The 13th Tattoo Designs And Their Meanings

One of the longest-running urban legends believed by people all around the world is that Friday the 13th is horrendously unlucky. But if you are one of those rare gems that don’t care about these myths, then Friday the 13th tattoos may just pique your interest. Whether you are a seasoned tattoo enthusiast looking for new creative body art designs or someone who loves all things spooky and Halloween, this article is for you. Learn about the common Friday the 13th motifs and their meanings so you can design your own spine-chilling tattoo. Scroll down and step into the shock horror world of Friday the 13th tattoos, where superstition meets style in the best way possible!

Meaning Of A Friday The 13th Tattoo

Friday the 13th tattoos are a tradition in tattoo culture, particularly in Western countries, where tattoo shops offer discounted flash tattoos on Friday the 13th. In order to dissect the meaning behind these tattoos, you first need to know from where the superstition arose. In Norse mythology, it is believed that 13 people should not dine at a table together, as it brings bad luck. The story goes that there were 12 gods dining together at Valhalla. Even though he was not invited, Loki showed up and created chaos as usual leading to one god killing another, causing the whole Earth to darken and mourn his loss.

This superstition is also believed to originate from Christianity. The last supper of Jesus had 13 people, including himself, dining together. This led to him being crucified on a Friday. Another incident was that the Knights Templar were arrested by King Phillip IV on October 13th 1307, a Friday.

Apart from this, a lot of bad things have happened on this date to reinforce the belief in the urban legend, such as the death of rapper Tupac Shakur and the infamous Bangladesh cyclone that killed nearly 3,00,000 people.

But instead of leaning into the scary superstition, Oliver Beck, the judge on a TV show called Ink Master, decided to make it a popular thing in the tattoo world. He tattooed the number 13 on around 415 people in a span of 24 hours. He was inspired to do so by sailors who would get the same tattoo as a way to prevent misfortune. This made Friday the 13th a popular sight in the tattoo world. Many tattoo studios, especially in the US, hold special events on the superstitious date with price deals revolving around the numbers 1 and 3.

Since then, many tattoo enthusiasts have embraced the tradition of getting these tattoo for many reasons, such as:

• Superstition: Some people get Friday the 13th tattoos as a way to challenge or mock superstitions, while others may get them as a form of protection against bad luck. Some get it as an ode to the Thirteen Club, started by Captain WIlliam Fowler, which sought to do away with the fear behind superstitions.
• Flash Designs: Many tattoo studios typically feature flash designs on this day, also called pre-drawn stencils, that are often smaller and simpler than custom tattoos. These designs may include common themes like black cats, skulls, spiders, or other spooky imagery associated with superstition and the supernatural.
• Movies And Halloween: These tattoos also frequently feature designs inspired by the Friday the 13th movie franchise, such as the iconic hockey mask and other elements associated with Jason Voorhees. These designs add to the spooky atmosphere of the event and celebrate the cultural significance of the films in tattoo culture.
• Taylor Swift: The singer believes that 13 is her lucky number. She has often left easter eggs in her songs associated with the number and even released the Eras Movie Tour on October 13th 2023, a Friday. Many swifties have gotten a tattoo of the date to commemorate the singer’s success and their adoration for her.

Overall, the meaning behind Friday the 13th tattoos can be multifaceted, ranging from a playful disregard for superstition to a celebration of community and tradition within the tattoo world, as explained in the next section. Check them out.

8 Scary Friday The 13th Tattoo Ideas And Their Meanings

Explore 8 Friday the 13th tattoo designs, each with its unique meaning, perfect for those looking to embrace superstition with style.

1. Traditional Friday The 13th Tattoo

This traditional-style upper arm tattoo features a captivating blend of gothic and Halloween motifs. A gothic gypsy woman framed by intricate floral vines and accompanied by a pumpkin takes center stage in this mystical tattoo. Legend says that the Romany people (commonly known as gypsies or nomads) believed that pumpkins would undergo a vampiric transformation on a full moon night. The burnt orange and grayscale color palette likely creates a striking visual impact, evoking a sense of mystery and allure.

2. Small Friday The 13th Tattoo

This small Friday the 13th tattoo features a menacing skull surrounded by three minuscule bats soaring above. The dark black hues, etched with a stippling technique, exude a truly badass vibe. This compact yet detailed design captures the essence of Halloween, making it a striking addition for any aficionado of the spooky and stylish. Its intricacy invites fascination, while its darkness commands attention.

3. Crescent Moon Friday The 13th Tattoo

Embrace the mysterious with a crescent moon Friday the 13th tattoo, gracefully etched on the forearm. This minimalist design of a crescent moon with a lone bat flying around brings to mind the legend of Dracula. This simple yet captivating design encapsulates the magic of an eerie night, a subtle ode to the allure of darkness. Do you want to elevate the design? Do explore some more horror tattoo ideas that capture the essence of your deepest fears and the thrill of the unknown.

4. Friday The 13th Snake Tattoo

Not all Friday the 13th tattoos need to be scary. Take a page from this snake tattoo, sporting a charmingly cute demeanor. A coiled diamondback snake, scaled with geometric designs, elegantly graces the forearm. Its black scales shimmer with a playful allure, perfect for adorning your skin with fun Halloween enchantments. This delightful and simple design adds a dash of personality to your Halloween ensemble, embodying both charm and spookiness in equal measure. Here, you may also check out more Halloween tattoos that can surely dare your spirit with various spooky designs and help you get that perfect eerie aesthetic.

5. Friday The 13th Jason Voorhees Tattoo

Prepare for spine-chilling thrills with a Friday the 13th Jason Voorhees tattoo, hauntingly etched on the upper arm. The titular character Jason Voorhees emerges rendered in a traditional style with bold black lines, exuding sheer terror. His menacing silhouette wields a knife, evoking a sense of impending doom. Eerie marks lend an air of foreboding to the design, while delicate rose flowers are an ode to the Rose Blood film. Ideal for Halloween, this tattoo encapsulates the essence of fear and fascination.

6. Friday The 13th Camp Crystal Lake Tattoo

Add your own twist to the classic Camp Crystal Lake tattoo. Instead of simply including Jason Voorhees in the menacing camp site, why not etch yourself as the scary titular character? In this tattoo, you can see the trees and the lake of the infamous and deadly campsite. In the story, Jason was bullied and thrown into the campsite’s lake, creating his villain arc. This tattoo beautifully pays homage to the story while being personal as well. You can further customize the design by adding additional motifs like the roses.

7. The Minimal Friday The 13th Tattoo

This Friday the 13th tattoo series would be incomplete without a clear, simple, and detailed design of Jason Voorhees himself. Though the character is a complete terror, his origin story of being bullied for having a deformed face strikes the heart of many. In the films, Jason seems to appear from the darkness to rage wrath upon his victims, as depicted in this tattoo.

8. Friday The 13th Mickey Mouse-Themed Tattoo

Celebrate a quirky twist on Friday the 13th with a Mickey Mouse-themed tattoo. This unique design combines the charm of Disney with the eerie allure of the Friday the 13th series. It gives you an idea of what a rage-driven Mickey Mouse would look like. You can add a scary touch to any of your favorite character tattoos in a similar fashion, instead of getting a whole new Friday the 13th body art piece. It’s a delightful fusion of fun and superstition, perfect for those who enjoy a touch of whimsy on this ominous occasion. Moreover, you can add a scary touch to any of your favorite characters in a similar fashion instead of getting a whole new Friday the 13th body art piece. For that, you can explore different scary tattoo ideas that can further double up the fear factor.

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Brik RangelTattoo Artist

     

Brik Rangel is a highly skilled tattoo artist who has 12 years of experience in the field. She specializes in transformative tattoo makeovers and cover-ups. After honing her craft in São Paulo, Brazil, she now works as a tattoo artist and manager at Manhattan Tattoos in New York, and as a tattoo artist at Divine Tattoos in New Jersey.

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Aparna HarryBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

 

Aparna Harry is a beauty and lifestyle content writer with over three years of experience in writing for different genres. She has a master’s degree in English Literature from The English And Foreign Languages University and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Mysore.

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Anjali SayeeAssociate Editor

Anjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.

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Gracia OdileBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Gracia Odile is a teacher-turned-beauty and lifestyle writer with three years of professional experience. She has a bachelor's degree in English from St. Stephen's College, a master's in Anthropology from the University of Madras, and a degree in education from GGSIPU.

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