Superstitions about the number 13

The most common superstition regarding numbers has given rise to such a psychological condition as triskaidekaphobia – fear of the number 13 and paraskavedekatriaphobia – fear of Friday, the 13th day of the month.

 

Superstitions

Many medical facilities don't have ward 13, some highways don't have entrance 13, and sports teams often don't include 13 on their jersey numbers. There is no car number 1 in Formula 13 racing. In many skyscrapers, after level 12, there are 14 at once.

According to studies, this costs the US economy millions of dollars annually due to event cancellations, absenteeism (duty evasion), and so on. Airlines are extremely superstitious about the number 13, or at least their passengers, and therefore there is no row number 13 on board the aircraft, and there is also a tendency not to fly number 13.

 

Facts related to the number 13

13 is the age when children tend to behave strangely and rebel against their parents and other authorities. Perhaps that is why the number 13 inspires fear. It is definitely associated with the onset of puberty.

13 buns – a baker's dozen (a dozen means 12): in 13th-century England, bakers who were caught cheating customers could lose an arm. To be on the safe side, when they were asked for a dozen buns, they gave XNUMX.

Traditionally, it was believed that 13 steps led to the gallows. Also according to legend, the noose of the gallows contained 13 turns of rope.

When the witches arrive for the sabbath, they are united in groups, each of which has 13 sorcerers (hell's dozen).

 

A couple of theories about the number 13

Theory-1. Since ancient times, it has been known that the number 13 brings special success, a positive effect on human life. Few knew about it. Therefore, so that not everyone “uses” this wonderful number – and they come up with the idea that this number is, as it were, “bad”. In fact, it is a divine number. But it, like many of the divine elements and symbols, was used for their own purposes by representatives of the dark forces, the so-called "Illuminati" – those who hid knowledge from people.

Theory-2. The idea that numbers are not just a means of counting, but also something that carries a magical meaning, was born in ancient times. In numerology, the number 12, Pythagoras argued, always means completeness and harmony. Hence the examples: there are 12 months in a year, the number of signs of the zodiac is 12, a day has 12 hours, Hercules performed 12 labors, and so on.

Since the number 13 is one more than 12, it is beyond the limits of completeness and harmony, and, therefore, the number is unknown, bad and evil. Indeed, after great deeds, chaos often ensues. Be that as it may, 13 has been infamous since ancient times. The number 13 is very inconvenient in everyday life. And first of all, by the fact that it is not divided into anything but one and itself.

 

Lucky number 13

NBA basketball player Wilt Chamberlain has always worn the number 13, stating that the number is unlucky for his opponents. And the legendary American football player Dan Marino used number 13 and is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the history of American football.

The launch of the Apollo 13 spacecraft took place at 13:13. And despite the fact that a serious accident occurred in flight, the astronauts returned to Earth on April 13 on Friday.

The number 13 is not feared in China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea and Saudi Arabia.

In Italy and China, the number 13 is also considered lucky. 13 is the number of blood, fertility and potency. In Chinese, 13 is denoted by a phrase that sounds like "must succeed." In Hong Kong, mobile network subscribers often ask for a number with the number 13 because it brings good luck.