Friday The 13th: 13 Superstitions That Show Our Fear Of The Number 13 (PHOTOS)

Friday the 13th is said to be unlucky because it combines a historically unlucky day and unlucky number.

The No. 13 has long gotten the human race riled up -- back to ancient times. It's even led to a condition called triskaidekaphobia, fear of the number 13.

That fear for 13 has led to some strange decisions and unusual behavior in the past. Here are 13 examples.

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• No room in the inn

  Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.

• On the street

  Many cities don't have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. This city tempted fate.

• Blame your parents

  If you have 13 letters in your name, you're said to have the devil's luck. Like, this guy (Charles Manson).

• Checking in

  Many airports skip the 13th gate.

• Aisle omission

  Airplanes have no 13th aisle.

• Numero...?

  Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery.

• Unlucky height

  More than 80% of high rises lack a 13th floor

• One solution

  On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half.

• Hangman's noose

  Traditionally in hangings, there are 13 knots in the noose and 13 steps leading up to the moment of death.

• Dinner luck

  French President Nicolas Sarkozy may know that in France, socialites called quatorziens (fourteeners) make themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.

• Space travel

  Many say the No. 13 pointed to the ill-fated mission to the moon, Apollo 13.

• It's in the cards

  Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim Reaper.

• Ancient ties

  Some say that the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (circa 1780 B.C.E.) is to blame for the No. 13 woes since the 13th law is omitted.

Comments

[Ordinant]

07:29 PM on 11/13/2009

For the editors: the intro text has "Here's 13 examples." But "here's" stands for "here is," so you've written "Here is 13 examples."

You meant "Here are 13 examples" or the rarely used contraction "Here're 13 examples."

[Craig Kanalley]

12:16 AM on 11/14/2009

Great catch. Fixed. Thanks.

[jsarets]

07:23 PM on 11/13/2009

The number 13 is a sacred number in several ancient spiritual traditions, including those of the Sumerians, Mesopotamians, Mayans, Buddhists, Hindus, Sufists, and Taoists.

Each of these traditions has a notion of creation divided into 13 periods (7 "days" and 6 "nights").

This concept is similar to the creation story of the three Abrahamic religions. However, these traditions explicitly count 13 periods, including "nights", whereas the familiar Old Testament story features 6 days of creation followed by 1 day of rest.

In the "pagan" traditions, each of the 13 periods has a particular significance: an intention of creation.
The Abrahamic traditions have no such concept. The number 13 has little significance if any.

It has been suggested that 13 is an "unlucky" number because Christianity has sought to distance itself from pagan traditions and ostracize the followers thereof. If 13 is unlucky, then anyone who practices a religion where 13 is a sacred number is obviously crazy and dangerous -- a witch.

[NoExpertsNeeded]

06:25 PM on 11/13/2009

Yep, the 13th has always been lucky for me...it's my birth date. Oh, wait...happy birthday to me :-)

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[AmandaBC]

07:21 PM on 11/13/2009

Pluggin' Pluggin' Pluggin'

Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them doggies movin' Rawhide!

[AmandaBC]

04:32 PM on 11/13/2009

In Europe's Latin countries (France, Italy, Spain, probably Portugal too), 13 is actually a lucky number. It comes from a Pagan tradition (like Christmas), honouring the 13 lunar cycles each year.

Interesting that in Italian culture, the number 17 is their 13. It comes from the Roman numeral XVII, which anagrammed becomes VIXI, Latin for "I lived", the implied meaning being "my life is now over."

Also interesting that in Chinese and Japanese culture, nobody wants to even pronounce the number 4, as it sounds exactly like the word for "d.eath" (shi.) The number 9 (kyu) is also considered unlucky --though to a lesser degree-- because it sounds like the word for "suffering."

As far as I know, Friday the 13th is purely an Anglo-Saxon thing and it's fairly new, first found around 1850.

[NoMercy]

05:16 PM on 11/13/2009

You are absolutely correct. I wrote about this on my blog for the very reason that it was attached to the Tarot card 13.

Additionally, the "quatorzien" (14th at a table) superstition in France is alluded to by Montaigne in the 1580s - the earliest attestation of a "13" superstition there is.

[jws2346]

03:59 PM on 11/13/2009

Hey, Friday the 13th is one of my good days

[rjhuntington]

03:56 PM on 11/13/2009

The number 13 ought to be considered an especially good number for any occasion in the US. Thirteen original states, thirteen ones on a dollar bill, thirteen clouds, feathers, stripes on the flag, and more, all over the place, thirteen somethings. Just sayin'....

[thefooligan5]

05:08 PM on 11/13/2009

I imagine all of those things are in 13s because of the original 13 states. But I can't imagine how 13 would seem lucky to people simply because there were 13 original states. It would implies laziness and resting on ancient laurels. We've got 50 now. Get with the times.

[Alexandra Mane]

03:51 PM on 11/13/2009

I know it's it implied but I feel the desire to point out that high-rises have a 13th floor just as airplanes have a 13th aisle, they're just labeled 14.

[american-dolt]

03:43 PM on 11/13/2009

The Knights Templar were ordered to be killed/wipedout on Friday the 13th, I believe this is the origin of Friday the 13th.

[jws2346]

04:01 PM on 11/13/2009

Thanks for the info. I can see where Fri 13th was a bad day for them Templar dudes

[redheadwoman]

03:43 PM on 11/13/2009

For more fun facts about Friday the 13th, look up "pagan menstrual calendar." You'll learn why fairy tales and legal documents include the phrase "a year and a day."

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro]

03:42 PM on 11/13/2009

wilt chamerlain wore number 13. i'll pick it everytime.

[jws2346]

04:03 PM on 11/13/2009

Thanks. I didn't know that. One more reason for peeps to value Fri the13th, not shun it.

[medici]

03:38 PM on 11/13/2009

Also, today's my birthday.

[jws2346]

04:04 PM on 11/13/2009

Happy birthday medici

[dmsdzinr]

03:21 PM on 11/13/2009

Friday the 13th has always been a great day for me! It is all just a state of mind.

[lawrencelugar]

02:59 PM on 11/13/2009

Just like Charles Manson - I also have 13 letters in my name...oh, ohh

[thefooligan5]

05:00 PM on 11/13/2009

Same here. I look forward to this 'devil's luck'. I hope it tastes as good as it sounds

[Kiri sute gomen]

02:50 PM on 11/13/2009

Bah, it is bad luck to be superstitious.

[Okieborn]

02:47 PM on 11/13/2009

Have a GREAT Friday the 13th !!