Why do old buildings neer have a 13th floor?

Question

I've always heard it's a superstition, but doesn't that seem a little insane? Why do they have that supersition to begin with? And why do newer buildings have 13th floors? Do they not believe in the superstition anymore?

Answer 1

No, you're right. It's superstition. The number 13 has been considered an ill omen for so long that even those who do not consider the number unlucky tend to avoid numbering floors in this fashion because those who work or live there might not feel the same way.

Many hotels simply skip the floor altogether, going from 12 to 14 (even though the 14th floor would actually be the 13th floor, in this case). Other places name it something else (such as the pool floor), or use it exclusively for maintenance and storage.

Similarly, new buildings in some parts of China omit the fourth, fourteenth, twenty-fourth, etc. floors, as the word "four" (Hanzi: 四) sounds like "death" (死 - both are pronounced "sì" and "sǐ", respectively) in Mandarin, the predominant dialect for the country, and most other Chinese dialects. A small number of buildings also follow the Western tradition of omitting the thirteenth floor, with the fifteenth floor immediately following the twelfth.

Although the Hanja for four and death are read identically in Korean, buildings in South Korea tend not to omit the fourth floor. However, newer buildings tend to label the fourth floor with the letter F, instead of the number 4.

As for why 13 is considered unlucky by some; who knows? As a prime number, I consider it a lucky number, myself. Everyone has a theory as to the origins of 13 being unlucky, and most of them are unverifiable.

I can't help but laugh when I think about the number of Americans who consider the number 13 to be unlucky, but don't know that:

The Great Seal of the United States has:
13 levels of the truncated pyramid,
13 letters in "E Pluribus Unum", which appears in the banner running through the eagle's beak on the right side of the bill's reverse.
13 letters in the phrase "Annuit Coeptis", which appears over the pyramid on the left side of the bill's reverse.
13 stars above the Eagle,
13 leaves on the olive branch,
13 olives on the olive branch,
13 arrows held by the Eagle, and
13 bars on the shield.

The United States flag also has 13 stripes.

Answer 2

I think this is a western thing. 13 is considered unlucky there are some theories about this. In asia it is not the case. In South Korea many buildings do not have a 4th floor. Something about the number 4 looking similar to the Chinese symbol for death. Also superstition. In some buildings the floors will read 1,2,3,F,5,6. Sometimes it would be 1,2,3,5,6 ... Either way 13 or 4 or whatever it is kind of silly. Even if you don't call the floor 4 or 13 it is still the 13th or the 4th from the ground.

Answer 3

All buildings that have more than 14 floors have a 13th floor. Some choose to skip the number however. It is a lot like daylight savings. You change the clock the time remains the same ... very stupid.

Answer 4

basically because the number 13 is considered unlucky. there are two main reasons that I have heard of the first is that with Judas betrayal this left 11 disciples rather than 12 the second was regarding the killing and arrest of the Knights Templar occurred on Friday The 13th.

Answer 5

Of course they have a 13th floor. The number is just skipped in the numbering system.

Answer 6

It is an old urban legend about the nuber 13 being unlucky

Answer 7

Well techinically if you have over thirteen floors then you will have a thirteenth floor. It will just be numbered 14.

Answer 8

Who knows. Books have a chapter 11, after all.

Answer 9

superstitious of the number 13

Answer 10

the number is a supersticion now people are more advanced