Friday the 13th feels like a small extension granted to Halloween, and I’m inclined to accept it.
The pumpkins have barely had time to look embarrassed on the porch before the calendar offers another excuse for dark colors, strange stories, and a dinner that could reasonably involve a black cat centerpiece. Also, yes, my carved pumpkins are history, but the ones I didn’t cut into are still going strong. November 13, 2026 is giving us one more opportunity to be a little dramatic!
Of course, I wanted to know whether the day actually deserves its reputation.
People have counted traffic accidents and hospital admissions to investigate that question, which is a fun way to respond to a superstition. Somewhere out there, somebody looked at a calendar full of ominous associations and decided a spreadsheet was the appropriate next step.
I also wanted to know which wine I’d pair with each familiar bit of bad-luck folklore. A black cat gets one personality, a broken mirror gets another, and spilled salt immediately makes me think about food. You can probably see where this is going…give a sommelier a superstition and apparently she starts writing a menu.
The Famous Study Deserves a Closer Look
A 1993 BMJ paper compared Friday the 13th with Friday the 6th in England’s South West Thames region. It reported fewer vehicles on a section of the M25 but more admissions for transport accidents, with totals of 65 compared with 45. The authors suggested the risk might be as much as 52 percent higher and recommended staying home.
It appeared in BMJ’s Christmas issue, but it still used real observations. The useful questions concern the small numbers, the setting, and whether the finding applies elsewhere. A memorable percentage from one study leaves plenty to investigate before we turn a particular square on the calendar into a general explanation for accidents.
That’s the sort of detail that changes how I read a dramatic headline. A percentage can sound enormous while describing a fairly small collection of events. I want to know who counted what, what they compared it with, and how many other things might help explain the difference. Admittedly, this can make me a fairly demanding audience for a spooky story.
Then Researchers Looked at Twenty One Fridays in Finland
In a 2004 BMC Public Health study, Igor Radun and Heikki Summala examined Finnish road-injury accident records from 1989 through 2002. They compared 21 Fridays the 13th with the Fridays before and after, accounting for holidays and unusual comparison dates.
They found no statistically significant differences in the road-injury accident measures they examined.
The authors also pointed out a limitation though…they lacked exposure-to-risk data, so they couldn’t fully account for changes in how much people traveled. A person worried about the date might change their behavior, which complicates the interpretation. That leaves us with a useful finding in a defined setting, while leaving individual behavior and other questions open.
For my purposes, the calendar gives me a theme for dinner rather than a prediction about what will happen to me. I can enjoy the folklore and still treat ordinary decisions with ordinary care. The bottle I open gets chosen for the meal, and the superstition gets to contribute the decorations.
The Black Cat Crossing the Room
For roast mushrooms piled onto toast, or a little plate of sausages and black olives, I’d pour E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rouge.
Its Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre blend takes this pairing toward dark fruit and savory depth. I want a red with enough presence to belong beside earthy food, while still being easy to enjoy with dinner.
The black cat gets this glass because the combination feels alert and slightly mysterious. There’s a lot going on beneath a composed surface, which seems appropriate for an animal that can stare at an empty corner and immediately make everybody question if there’s a ghost in the house or not. I’m using the cat’s popular place in superstition as a playful pairing cue here; actual cats are welcome to carry on with their own perfectly ordinary business.
Put the mushrooms on good bread, give them enough time in the pan to brown, and let the red join the food. If a cat does cross the room during dinner, I’d be far more interested in whether it’s heading toward the plate.
The Broken Mirror With a Little Age on It
For roast lamb with rosemary, or an aged Manchego with bread, I’d choose Cune Reserva from Rioja. The producer’s Tempranillo-led blend and oak maturation give this pairing the direction I want, with fruit, structure, and the savory possibilities of an aged red.
I’d taste the actual vintage and give it whatever time in the glass helps it open.
A broken mirror supposedly comes with years of consequences, so my contribution is a bottle that has already benefited from a little patience. I like the idea of taking the theme somewhere useful!! A piece of mature cheese, a wine with some development, and an evening spent discussing what everybody thought adulthood would look like could become surprisingly entertaining.
Keep the theatrical mirror firmly intact for the table setting. I’d happily provide an aged wine for the concept while leaving the actual cleanup out of the dinner plans. Glass shards would be a fairly inconvenient additional texture.
The Ladder Everybody Keeps Mentioning
For roast chicken with lemon and thyme, I’d pour Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay. This is the light-through-the-window portion of the menu, a fuller white with the freshness to make sense beside the chicken and its buttery cooking juices.
The wine’s texture is what sends me here, particularly when potatoes have become part of the situation.
The ladder pairing is admittedly the most ridiculous one, which probably means it belongs in this series. I’m thinking of height, balance, and that moment when a room suddenly seems taller because somebody has decided to fix something above everybody’s head. A composed glass with a little breadth feels much more appealing to me than participating in any actual overhead repair work.
I’d put the dinner on the table and let the ladder remain a story. There are plenty of ordinary reasons to pay attention around tools, whatever the date happens to be, and roast chicken is a much more enjoyable use of my concentration.
The Spilled Salt Has Found Its Pairing
For potato chips, gougères, or a little fried chicken, I’d reach for Graham Beck Brut Rosé. Salty, crisp food and fresh sparkling wine are a combination I’ll happily defend on any Friday. The producer’s berry and cherry direction gives the pink fizz a lovely place beside something savory.
This pairing requires very little equipment and makes an excellent beginning if people arrive hungry. Open the chips, put them in a bowl if you’re feeling formal, and pour the sparkling wine into proper glasses. The effort can remain fairly small while the pleasure is considerable, which is exactly the sort of kitchen arrangement I support.
As for the spilled salt, the menu already has plenty. I’d prefer it seasoning the food to decorating the floor, although I understand that centuries of superstition have given people other ideas about where to throw it.
Knock on Wood and Pass the Dessert
For walnut cake, a small piece of pecan tart, or cheese with toasted nuts, I’d finish with a modest pour of Graham’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port. Its wood-aged style makes this a particularly satisfying place to land the knocking-on-wood theme.
The maker’s nutty, honeyed, fig-like description also gives the food a clear direction.
I’d serve it lightly chilled and let the dessert guide the sweetness match. The wine already has its own relationship with wood, time, and careful blending, which seems a much more delicious thing to talk about than whether touching the table has altered our fortunes.
By this point in dinner, I’d also be perfectly happy if everybody had forgotten which superstition started the whole conversation.
A Perfectly Good Excuse for Dinner
I think one reason these traditions stay with us is that they turn normal things into stories: a cat becomes a sign, a mirror carries a warning, and a little salt suddenly has a role in somebody’s future.
You can choose one of these pairings and make it your whole evening if you want! The black-cat red with mushrooms would be lovely, and the salty-food sparkling combination would work beautifully with friends. Friday the 13th gives us the occasion, and the food gives the wine its actual assignment. I’d say that’s a fairly good way to spend the extra little piece of Halloween the calendar handed us.
A small wooden cheese board is enough for the Manchego, bread, and toasted nuts. I’d leave a little space between them so people can build their own bites while the conversation wanders into everybody’s favorite superstition.
