Did you know the 'Friday the 13th' tattoo tradition started in Texas?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s a superstition for some and good luck for others. But for those in the tattoo world, Friday the 13th has become a regularly anticipated event.

Friday the 13th happens at least once a year, and can happen up to three times in a year. Tattoo shops often hold events or tattoo marathons synonymous with the date, or offer deals and discounts on “flash tattoos,” which are predetermined designs offered on a walk-in basis.

Think Macy’s Memorial Day sale, holiday discounts at your favorite big box retailer, or Black Friday deals… Friday the 13th is similar, but for tattoo shops.

It’s a tradition somewhat rooted in superstitious beliefs, popularized by Dallas artist Oliver Peck, who gained fame as a judge on Ink Master for seasons 1-13.

Peck told Vice back in 2017 that he “definitely wasn’t the first person to do it,” but he “definitely made it an event.” Vice reported that Peck was inspired by a fellow tattoo artist’s Halloween specials, and he wanted to start his own tradition.

Thus, the first Friday the 13th tattoo marathon event was held at Peck’s shop, Elm Street Tattoo, in Dallas in 1996. The 24-hour event has run every Friday the 13th since, according to the shop’s website.

Elm Street Tattoo’s current shop manager, Bella Savarese, told KXAN that Peck had been doing Friday the 13th tattoos as long as he’d been tattooing, then once he co-opened Elm Street, it turned into an event.

Peck even made the Guinness Book of World Records for drawing the most tattoos in 24 hours, on Friday the 13th in June of 2008, according to NBC. He completed 415 tattoos from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday.

Savarese explained that the lore came from sailors, since the American Traditional tattoo style was largely influenced and popularized by sailing culture, and sailors are often known to be superstitious.

“A lot of them have all these little meanings or placements have specific meanings,” Savarese said. “And so, sailors used to get the number 13 tattooed on them, because it’s bad luck. So if bad luck came their way, it would see they already had the bad luck, and turn away. [That] was kind of the superstition.”

Savarese said Elm Street and its two sister shops in Dallas see more than a thousand customers each Friday the 13th marathon.

A short documentary about the number 13 and tattoo culture, centered around Elm Street Tattoo and Oliver Peck, came out Friday. “The Number 13: A Tattoo History” can be watched on Vimeo.

Several Austin tattoo shops, like All Saints, No Good Tattoos, The Austin Tattoo Co., and many others, are offering deals to commemorate the occasion.

Customers often line up early to secure a spot with an artist, since the deals are typically offered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

One customer at All Saints in Austin told KXAN that she was getting a tattoo in honor of her daughter-in-law, who’s pregnant and can’t get a tattoo.

“My son and daughter-in-law always get theirs, and this year she is pregnant, so she’s not able to get hers, and I figured I’d get one in honor of her … because I was supposed to get one a couple years ago and I kinda chickened out and got something else instead,” Barbara Martinez said.

Carlos Ybarra, a tattoo artist at All Saints, said the shop offers tattoos for $31 plus a $9 tip each time Friday the 13th rolls around. He said the shop’s minimum is typically $100, so the day is “pretty much a customer appreciation day.”

“We got a pretty crazy turnaround, but everyone’s pretty fast and efficient, so we can kinda just crank them out,” Ybarra said.

Source link