Why is 13 considered an unlucky number?

Question

Have heard that there were 13 steps to the guillotine/gallows? anything else?

Answer 1

There was thirteen people at the last supper.

Answer 2

Fear of the number 13 comes from many sources.

The origin of the Friday the 13th superstition has been linked to the belief that there were 13 people at The Last Supper of Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday, but no evidence has been found that Friday 13th was considered especially unlucky until the 19th century. The number 13, however, has a long history of association with ill-luck. It has been linked to the fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years, while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year.

Another suggestion is that the belief originated in a Norse myth about twelve gods having a feast in the hall of the sea-god Aegir. The mischievous Loki gate-crashed the party as an uninvited 13th guest and arranged for Hod, the blind god of darkness, to throw a branch of mistletoe at Balder, the god of joy and gladness. Balder was killed instantly and the Earth was plunged into darkness and mourning as a result. This, however, is untenable. The original Old Norse text, the poem Lokasenna in the Edda, mentions 17 gods by name at the feast. Loki is indeed a gatecrasher, but he is not the thirteenth person present. Nor is there any link between this episode and the killing of Balder.

The first explanation, however, seems more relevant to the superstition linked to having 13 people at the same table during a meal. This, recorded at the end of the eighteenth century, is the earliest known instance of the ill-luck of 13 in Britain. The belief was that the first person to rise from the table would be the first to die.

There is also another theory that Friday the 13th of October 1307 was the day that Philip IV of France arrested and subsequenty tortured and killed hundreds of the French Knights Templar to get their money for the French treasury. One other note which predates all of the aforementioned is that the first Passover seems to have occurred on Friday the 13th. The death of the firstborns of Egypt occurred on a Shabbat on the 14th of Nisan in the evening. But the Jewish calendar counts days from sunset to sunset so this would have been Friday the 13th in terms of the gentile reckoning of the days. (Exodus 12:6) Feminists have argued that because of the lunar year and Friday being named after a goddess in most European pagan calendars, the fear of Friday the 13th is a patriarchal invention, associating femininity with bad luck.

Answer 3

because on Friday 13th many many many years ago the new Pope at the time decided that the Knights Templars (no, nothing to do with the books, films, Dan Brown or his vast fortune, but actual fact, this bit, anyway!!) had had their day and were getting far too popular, rich and powerful. So he sent an order that on this day, the 13th, the Templars should be made to vow allegiance to him and his form of religion or must perish, Not a lot changed over the centuries really has it?!! Anyway, many many knights were burned at the stake. A bit like the witch hunts. It was then known by the common man as Friday 13th and has been passed down in our communal psyche as a bad date.

Answer 4

i dont think 13 is an unlucky number. There are many superstitions or old wives tales out there like. dont open an umbrella indoors, breaking a mirror 7 years bad luck, and dont put new shoes on a table, going outside with wet hair will give you a cold, the only one that makes sense to me is not to walk under a laadder-thats only because something may fall on your head from above.

Answer 5

For a long time tall building would not have a 13th floor. The floor numbers would skip from 12 to 14. How about Appolo 13?

Answer 6

Thirteen is regarded as an unlucky number in many cultures. One (probably unverifiable) hypothesis holds that 13 is a reflection of the human fear of the unknown, since it is the first number that cannot be enumerated using our 10 fingers and 2 feet. Unreasoned fear of the number 13 is termed triskaidekaphobia. Due to this fear, some tall buildings have resorted to skipping the "thirteenth floor", either by numbering it "14" (though it's really still the thirteenth floor) or by designating the floor as "12a" or something similar. Similarly, some streets do not contain a house number 13. The thirteenth of a month is likewise ominous, particularly when it falls on a Friday (see Friday the 13th), a Tuesday in the Greek and Spanish-speaking world, or a Monday in Russia. Months with a Friday the 13th always begin on a Sunday.

According to another interpretation, the number 13 is unlucky because it is the number of full moons in a year. Women living in a natural environment tend to have their period during a full moon. A woman typically has 13 periods in a year. In the past, a woman who "bled" during a full moon was seen as a witch. The fear of women's connection to the moon, as well as the association of the full moon with mental disorders has, according to this theory, caused the number to be seen as bad luck, and connected to supernatural forces.

A small minority of left handers consider 13 to be their "lucky" number. This is possibly derived from "unlucky" being an antonym for "lucky". Since many left handers are taught to do the opposite when learning new skills from a right handed instructor, they consider 13 to be their "lucky" number as it is the opposite of 13 being the "unlucky" number.

The number is also considered unlucky by some as it is the sum of 1+4+5+3, the year of the fall of Constantinople to the Turks, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire, though it may be considered lucky by Turks on the same basis.

Amongst some Chinese people, it is regarded as a lucky number because it sounds similar to "實生", which means "must be alive". But this belief is not universal, or even known to all Chinese. Also, 13 is regarded as unlucky by those Chinese under the influence of foreign cultures.

In the Persian culture, 13 is also considered an unlucky number. On the 13th day of the Persian new year (Norouz), people consider staying at home unlucky, and go outside for a picnic in order to ward off the bad luck.

Modern-day witches have reclaimed the number 13 as a lucky and significant number. This may be similar to witches reclaiming other previously negative terms and ideas associated with witchcraft, such as black cats, brooms, and even the term witch itself.

In the Sikh religion, the number 13 is considered a special number since 13 is tera in Punjabi, which also means "yours" (as in, "I am yours, O Lord"). When Guru Nanak Dev Ji had a job of counting stocks of items, he counted from 1 to 13 (in Punjabi) as one does normally, but after reaching the count of 13, he would just repeat "tera", since all items were in fact God's, as God created them. When somebody heard this while passing, Guru Nanak Dev Ji was confronted about this, and his records were checked. It was a miracle since they were all perfect, yet he never seemed to count the items properly.
In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "What is six times nine" is posed as the question to the answer to life, the universe and everything (42). This is true in base 13, although this was merely coincidence according to author Douglas Adams. Similarly, the fact that the official numbering system for counties of Norway skips over "county number 13" is due not to superstition but historical accident.

Legendary NBA superstar Wilt Chamberlain wore the number 13 on his jersey throughout his career. It signified that the number 13 was not unlucky for him, but unlucky for his opponents. Another legendary athlete who wore the number 13 was Dan Marino, who passed for more yards than any other quarterback in NFL history.

In Asian cultures, the numbers '4' and '9' are often considered unlucky due to their resemblance to the words for 'death' and 'suffering'. But if these numbers are added together, they equal the traditionally unlucky number of the West, '13'.

Answer 7

that number is unlucky because of one reason and one reason only that is the day when the french or roman king I dont have my book with me but that is the day the king sent his army out to slughter all of the nights templers wich were a very rich and powerful group of men given the right to pretty much do what ever they wanted by the church.

Answer 8

It originally ,allegedly ,refers to the "fact" that there were 13 at The Last Supper.

Answer 9

There is some real sotry about the catolic church getting rid of the crusaders, the plan was set and executed some friday the 13th, don't know the year or the month.

Answer 10

Because presumably the Knights Templar were arrested on a Friday the 13th. Read all about it here:

Answer 11

Because there were 13 at the last supper.