Locals take advantage of Friday the 13th deals at tattoo parlors

As much as superstition is part of Friday the 13th, so is the bevy of deals available at tattoo parlors across the nation as many look to deter the "bad luck" with the longstanding tradition of getting inked. 

Traditionally a day linked with misfortune and bad luck, a legend says that getting a tattoo on any Friday the 13th is actually good luck. The belief comes from a passed down tale of a sailor who once got the number 13 tattooed on himself so that if bad luck ever approached him, it would pass him by.

Now, tattoo parlors all over the nation offer special deals on any given Friday the 13th that may happen throughout the year, giving people a chance to partake in the luck. 

According to many, the tradition began at a parlor in Texas in the mid-1990s and picked up steam to the point it has reached today.

"Weeks leading up to Friday the 13th, we'll make brand new flash sheets of fun designs that we want to tattoo," said Taylor Pesqueira, the manager at Port City Tattoo in Long Beach. "For us, it turned into kind of a good luck, something fun to do."

She says normally on a Friday the parlor would get about 10 customers, but on Friday the 13th their waiting rooms are full of customers, many of whom are repeat. 

For many patrons, the tradition has become personal, taking advantage of the cheaper designs and opportunity to get more ink. 

"I like to personally go to different shops on Friday the 13th because I just love to support the industry and different artists," said Bryan Corral, a customer at Port City Tattoo. 

"Once I got my first Friday the 13th tattoo, it oddly became a tradition," said Andrew Luna, another patron. "I have about, well, getting my fourth one done right now."

There will be another Friday the 13th in October, one of only two in 2023.