Friday the 13th – the famous unlucky days of black cats, witches, shattered mirrors, ladders – and to the tattoo community – cheap tattoos. We would describe Friday the 13th as a tattoo Black Friday with a huge frenzy running from tattoo studio to studio. The day is an “if you know, you know” things and only happened among the community until recent years. However, in Vietnam, people still haven’t heard much of this fantastic event. So if you’re wondering what is the tradition of tattooing on Friday the 13th in tattoo culture, here is your guide!
Tattoo culture and Friday the 13th
So exactly what happens on a Friday the 13th in the tattoo community? We need to take you back around 25 years ago. The tattooing event started much earlier in the 1990s in America. However, it only bloomed in late 1995 with the help of Oliver Peck. He owned Elm St. Tattoo in Dallas, USA, and had been offering tattoo at an incredibly low price every Friday the 13th. The prices may vary from place to place, but typically it would be 13$ each with 7$ tips for good luck. The price is considered insanely cheap since the tattoo artist’s working rate is nearly 50$ per hour in the US. On this particular day, as a tradition of tattoo culture, studios will prepare a bunch of themed flash tattoo for customers to choose from. Friday the 13th is one of the busiest times of the year to most tattoo parlors.
Why getting tattooed on Friday the 13th?
As a tattoo tradition, on Friday the 13th, there will be a lot of people lining up in front of a tattoo studio, waiting to get inked. The tradition keeps going on and on since people seem to really enjoy it. In the Western culture, Friday the 13th is referred to as terribly bad luck, and people often scared that unfortunate events will happen to them. So there’s a myth among the tattoo culture that getting a tattoo (which is a sort of pain) will keep the unlucky things away. And on top of that, the number 13 is considered bad luck as well.
That will explain why there are so many people who want to get inked on Friday the 13th. Some even go further and get a tattoo of number 13 on their skin to prove that it’s silly to be afraid of a number. Some go as a tattoo tradition, for good luck. While other simple come for cheap price tattoo. In anyway, Friday the 13th is just like a holiday in tattoo culture. It’s fun, it’s cheap, what’s better than that?
Getting a tattoo on Friday the 13th: what to do?
Be kind: tattoo artists will work really hard on this day since there is a long line of customers waiting. They might not even make much money but still have to put the same effort on the tattoos, which means they’ll get tired and exhausted. Be kind to them, and don’t forget the tip!
Bring your ID: most tattoo studios only accept customers who are 18 and above. You won’t want to wait in line for an hour and not get any tattoo. So bring your ID, it’ll make everything much faster.
Cash: to speed up the transaction time and also to tip your tattoo artist easier, bring cash instead of a credit card.
Safety first: even if it’s getting a tattoo at a steal price, you still have to make sure that the place is clean and everything is single-use. See if all counters are wiped carefully, needles and tubes opened from a sealed sterile packaging and new ink only.
Hit your favorite tattoo artist to check out the design first and make sure you know the price before walking in the studio’s door. This will ensure you get your wanted tattoo, instead of something you might regret later.
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