It’s Friday the 13th! Will You Have Bad Luck?

By Amanda Pendolino on November 13th, 2009

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Today is Friday the 13th, a spooky occasion we haven’t celebrated since March. Why are we so afraid of the number 13? The fear has been around so long that it even has a name: triskaidekaphobia. Here are some more examples of our phobia, from The Huffington Post:

1. Hotels often have no room #13.

2. Many cities have no 13th Street or 13th Avenue.

3. If you have 13 letters in you’re name, you’re said to have the devil’s luck. (Charles Manson is an example.) Phew, I’ve got 15. Lucky for all of us, Barack Obama has 11.

4. In France, socialites called Fourteeners make themselves available as guests so that no party has to suffer the fate of having thirteen people. Time to make new business cards – I’m totally doing that.

5. Many airports do not have a 13th gate.

6. Airplanes often skip the 13th aisle.

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

8. In Italy, there is no #13 in the national lottery.

9. On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. (I’m getting the impression that the Italians are major scaredy cats.)

10. Maybe Apollo 13 was doomed because of its number!

11. Historians say there were 13 people at Christ’s Last Supper and Christ was crucified on Friday the 13th. (I think some Christians would argue that that all resulted in some good luck, though…)

12. There is no 13th law in Hammurabi’s code.

13. Tarot card #13 is the Death Card, the Grim Reaper.

Okay, I’m convinced. I’ll be staying away from black cats and ladders.