It’s Your Lucky Day: Friday the 13th Tattoos Are Affordable, Spooky, And Wicked Cool

If the cost has been holding you back from getting a tattoo, then Friday the 13th might actually be your lucky day. Many tattoo shops mark the traditionally unlucky date by offering a limited selection of Friday the 13th tattoos for a much lower price than usual—often only $13 (plus tip, of course).

The custom can be traced back to the mid-90s. Since then, tattooers all over the country offer themed flash designs, often including the number 13, black cats, horseshoes, and of course, homages to the slasher film franchise featuring Jason Voorhees.

With Friday the 13th coming up fast this October, you may be lucky enough to get your own permanent bad luck charm for a killer price. Just, uh, don’t walk under that ladder outside the shop on your way out.

 

35 Cool Friday the 13th Tattoos

1. Black Cat

We don’t care that they’re supposed to be unlucky, we love little furry voids. Insert our face here.

 

2. Cute Little Thirteens

We’ll take a baker’s dozen of tiny, fun tattoos, please. An artist somewhere must have a cupcake 13 design. If not, take that idea and run with it.

 

3. Spooky Bats

Personally, we consider bats very lucky. When they’re around…well, we get to look at cool bats. That’s pretty lucky.

 

4. Steamy Coffee

Despite the sinister associations, Friday the 13th tattoos don’t have to be grim. We can’t help but feel happy when looking at this steaming coffee cup. No no, it’s not poisoned.

 

5. Candy Razor Blade

Happy Halloween to one of our great childhood fears. Is that what our therapist meant when she said to embrace our inner child?

 

6. Death Head Kitty

We’re not sure how you got this pic of us before our morning coffee. But hey, not as bad as we imagined.

 

7. Lil Satan

Lil Satan is the GOAT. Uh oh, he’s gonna be mad we said that, isn’t he?

 

8. Witchy Friday the 13th Tattoos

Think they’d notice if we got in line four times to get all of these tattoos? We brought our wig box.

 

9. Harry Potter and His Scar

Some people ascribe Harry Potter’s victory to just being lucky, so we guess the forehead scar worked for him. Now we know where we’re getting ours.

 

10. Tiny Poison Bottle

Note to self: don’t drink from tiny bottles with skulls on them. Yes, that rule applies even if the liquid is pink.

 

11. Moth and Dagger

Wait, are donuts with sprinkles unlucky? We didn’t get that memo. But we did just get 13 donuts with sprinkles.

 

12. Spooky Clown

As coulrophobes, we’d be unlucky indeed to be marked for life with a clown. But we’ll allow it for others. As long as you don’t make us look.

 

13. Skulls and Roses

Halloween tattoos don’t have to be all gray and black – these colorful teals and oranges really pop. Everything’s less scary in teal. Except, like, tsunamis.

 

14. Tiny Letter

What unlucky letter is in that envelope? Is our car’s extended warranty expired again?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhj8Iuph0i7/

 

15. Pikachu Jason Tattoo

If Jason was this adorable, he’d have people running after him, instead of the other way around. We might have just unlocked his childhood trauma.

 

16. Realistic Jason Tattoo

We doubt you could snag art like this for $13, but this menacing hockey mask still fits the theme.

 

17. Thorny Jason

So Jason was chasing all those women because he wanted to give them flowers? What a softie.

 

18. Friday the 13th Wolf

Aooooo! That was our best wolf impression. Put your ear real close to the screen and you might be able to hear it.

 

19. Black and White Jason Tattoo

This homage to the Friday the 13th movie is simple, but effective. Just like Jason himself. Maybe he should just sign up to be a delivery driver or something useful?

 

20. Friday the 13th Skull

This comes closest to how we feel when we have a migraine. Luck evades us once again.

 

21. Friday the 13th Cow Skull

Someone’s been studying Georgia O’Keeffe’s work, and we’re not mad about it. Now we can take her vibe wherever we go. But especially Texas.

 

22. Friday the 13th Arrow

For some reason, fear of Friday the 13th is called “Friggatriskaidekaphobia.” It would definitely be unlucky to get that in a spelling bee.

 

23. Chaotic Friday the 13th Fire Pig

We’re not sure if this is a Pokemon we haven’t seen before or what, but we love its energy. Because it’s our energy.

 

24. Black as Night Cat

Maybe the black cat is crossing our path because she has somewhere to be. Did you ever think of that?

 

25. Jaunty Friday the 13th Skull

We were just transported to childhood memories of making hats and boats out of newspaper. We’ve just uncovered the real cost of newspapers going out of business.

 

26. Look Out! At Camp Crystal Lake Tattoo

Go to camp, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

 

27. Dripping 13

This is either a Friday the 13th tattoo or melting candles from a birthday long past. We hope it’s long past. You shouldn’t be reading this if it isn’t.

 

28. Friday the 13th Alien

We don’t know for a fact that Friday the 13th is unlucky to aliens. But crashing on Earth can’t be ideal.

 

29. Colorful Thirteen Dagger Tattoo

We just learned that Taylor Swift turned 13 on a Friday the 13th. So basically, this guy’s a Swiftie.

 

30. Friday the 13th Spaceship

The day we finally get abducted by aliens will be our lucky day. All that waiting around in empty fields instead of sleeping, finally paying off.

 

31. Cracked Skull Tattoo

The way this artist hides the 13 in the cracks on the skull is brilliant. Kind of like how we hide the last cake pop in the back of the fridge, knowing we’ll find it when we’re meant to. You can totally steal that idea.

 

32. THIRTEEN Dripping Dagger tattoo

We love these clean graphics, but in what style guide do you spell out “thirteen”? Where’s our red pen?

 

33. Welcome to Camp Crystal Lake Tattoo

Not every horror fan wants to declare their love for the genre with tattoos showing grue and gore. This wholesome-looking sign is perfect, because IYKYK.

 

34. Realistic Jason and Camp Crystal Lake Tattoo

How does Jason manage to look so wistful behind that hockey mask? Is he thinking he wishes he’d gotten in line sooner for a Friday the 13th tattoo?

 

35. Camp Crystal Lake Key Chain Tattoo

This retro keychain reminds us of checking in to dodgy roadside motels on late summer nights after driving across the country. And also of that one giant roach in the shower. So thanks for that.