Oliver Peck is credited with starting the specific Friday the 13th trend, but he told Vice it comes from a long history of similar tattoos with a surprising story. According to the artist, sailors would frequently tattoo themselves with the number 13 to ward off bad luck. “Bad luck would come your way, it would see the number 13, see that bad luck is already there, and it would pass on by,” he said. Peck also decided to do the special tattoos after finding out about artist David Lum’s Halloween specials, and he has even gotten the tattoos himself on multiple occasions.
Flash tattoos for Friday the 13th have picked up popularity over the years, and some tattoo shops find themselves managing long lines and more customers than usual because of the tradition. Part of the appeal is the low cost: The flash tattoos only cost $13, compared to minimums of about $50 or $80 at some shops (via Vice).
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