13 Reasons Why People Fear the Number 13

Do you suffer from triskaidekaphobia? Well, you’re not alone. The number 13 has been known to give shivers to even the most sane amongst us. Friday the 13^th is considered the unluckiest day in a year, hotels skip having a 13^th floor, going straight from 12 to 14. And you know what they say happens to the first person to rise when there are 13 guests at a dinner party?

In 1881, The Thirteen Club was constituted to improve the number’s reputation. The club’s 13 members walked under ladders and spilled salt at the first meeting to ward off all negative associations with the number. However, these ‘heroics’ were soon forgotten.

So, what scares the bejeesus out of people? We present 13 reasons why folk think that 13 is an unlucky number.

1. There were 13 people at the Last Supper

It was Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus and he was the 13th man to take his place at the table. Many now fear that if 13 people share a meal together at a table, one of the diners will perish within a year.

Leonardo da Vinci, 1498 via reuters

2. The Norse legend

One of the stories from the Norse mythology narrates the tale of a dinner party that was ruined by Loki (the trickster god) whose appearance at the gathering plunged the world into darkness and led to the death of a god called Balder. Loki was the 13^th guest.

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3. The number 13 is an oddity

The number 12 has always seen as a sign of ‘completeness’. The Gods of Olympus were 12 in number. There are 12 hours of the clock, 12 months in a year, and 12 signs in the Zodiac. In Christianity, there are 12 apostles of Jesus. Hence, 13 is unlucky, period.

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4. 13 letters in a name spells doom

You would be surprised how many people believe this to be true. It is said that people who have 13 letters in their name have the devil’s luck. Jack the Ripper had 13 and look how he turned out.

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5. Women menstruate roughly 13 times a year

Some superstitions are more bizarre than others and this is the perfect example. Many fear the number 13 because women get their period roughly 13 times a year, based on a cycle length of 28 days.

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6. A coven has 13 members

Traditionally, a witches’ coven was always believed to have 13 members and that never bode well with those who were ‘normal’. For the witches, however, since a year consists of 13 lunar months and witchcraft is closely associated with the moon, the number signifies completeness.

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7. Traditionally, 13 steps led up to the gallows

As per tradition, there were 13 steps that led up to the gallows. Of course, the gallows varied but the number of steps would often add up to 13. A park ranger at Fort Smith Historic Site once said, “13 steps on the gallows – 12 up, and one down.”

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8. Friday the 13^th

There are several superstitions associated with the number – don’t cut your hair, don’t pass a cemetery, don’t walk under a ladder, and so on. Businesses avoid starting any fresh work on this day.

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9. Hotels refuse to have a room 13

There are many hotels that refuse to have a Room 13. The Carlton Hotel in London took it a step further and refused to have a floor 13 entirely. Similarly, you may have noticed that some planes also do not have a row 13.

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10. Tuesday the 13^th is unlucky

It’s not just Friday the 13^th that puts superstitious people on edge. In Spain, people believe that Tuesday the 13th brings bad luck. They are extra cautious on this day.

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11. The ancient Babylon’s Code of Hammurabi

Dating to 1772 BC, the preserved ancient Babylon’s Code of Hammurabi omitted the number 13 from its list of laws. The laws are numbered 1 to 282 with numbers 13 and 66-99 missing.

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12. The execution of the Knights Templar

The mass execution of the Knights Templar – who protected the Holy Grail – began on October 13, 1307 which happened to be a Friday.

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13. The Zoroastrian tradition

Believers of the Zoroastrian tradition claim that at the beginning of the 13,000^th year, the world will be thrown into insurmountable chaos as evil will wage a devastating war against the good.

reuters

Are you spooked? We know we are…