The number 13 has been known to give shivers to even the most sane ones amongst us. Friday the 13th is considered the unluckiest day in a year, hotels skip having a 13th floor, going straight from 12 to 14.
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.
A few reasons as to why do people fear the number 13 –
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.
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.
13 letters in a same 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.
A witches’ 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.
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.”
Friday the 13th –
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.
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.
So, we’ve got several reasons for the superstitious number 13.