Unlucky Friday
A Sailors Superstition

"Still in Gravesend. The sailors think it unlucky to start on a Friday"
The Diary of a passenger aboard the Cardigan Castle bound for Lyttelton - September 29^th 1876

An ancient superstition of the sea held that it was unlucky to commence a sea journey on a Friday. The belief (applying also to any form of journey or activity) is said to originate from the belief that Adam was tempted by Eve on a Friday initiating the train of events that saw them expelled from Eden.

The Gentleman’s Magazine (1731 to 1914) in an issued dated 1823 states:
"Sailors are many of them very superstitious…..a voyage begun [on a Friday] is sure to be an unfortunate one."

A story recorded in the magical Wilson’s Tales of the Border (volume 4 - 1838) ‘cocks a snook’ at the apparent foolishness of this belief by declaring: "Never say ‘die’…..we’ll weather many a Friday’s sailing yet."

Even more strongly in Johnny Ludlow (1890), Mrs Henry Wood states:
"Sailors are more foolish on this point than you can imagine: and I believe…that ships, sailing on a Friday, have come to grief through their crew losing heart. No matter what impediment is met with – bad weather, accidents, what not – the men say at once it’s of no use, we sailed on a Friday."

Perhaps, as some proof of this ancient belief, the ship Wild Deer left Greenock on Friday 12th January 1883 bound for Dunedin, only to sink hours later off the coast of Northern Ireland. No lives were lost and immigrants later arrived in Dunedin on board the ship Caroline.