Fear of Number 13 (Triskaidekaphobia) & Superstitions You Blindly Believe

You might have heard that people are scared of snakes, height or dark. But do you know that there are people who are scared of the number 13? I don’t know what is there with the number; 13 is same as other numbers, and yet there are several horror scenes picturized intentionally on the 13th floor of a building and love birds avoid exchanging vows on 13 of any moth.

Just like fear from evil looking clowns is termed as Coulrophobia and ear of closely packed holes is called Trypophobia and fear of 13 also has a unique name and is called  Triskaidekaphobia. Let us now read some amazing facts associated with this phobia.

You might find this post crazy! Read at your own risk.

What Makes 13 So Scary?

I agree that snakes look dangerous, spiders look creepy, worms create an unwanted environment in surroundings; so the people have a phobia of insects and reptiles. But what is the reason people are scared of the number 13? There are no particular reasons behind the fear.

It can be understood why people are frightened of insects and reptiles but do you know people have a fear of food? Yes, you read it right. While you enjoy delicious pizza and junk food, some are scared of peanut butter, cheese, and even mushrooms. If you don’t have a fear of foods, you might find these food phobias hilarious.

I am still finding the reasons why 13 is so unlucky to many, but historians have pointed out some reasons why 13 stands odd of all. Let’s find it out.

Reasons Why 13 is Unlucky Number

Source = Wonderopolis

1. When 13 Falls on Friday

Friday is also considered to be unlucky in several cultures. Although it is not known from where this fear has come, it may be based on the belief that Jesus was crucified on this day. So, the number 13 coming on Friday is considered very unlucky. This fear of Friday when falls on 13 is called as Paraskevidekatriaphobia.

2. 12 is a Whole Number

According to scientists and mathematicians, 12 is considered as a perfect number. There are 12 months, 12 zodiac signs and 12 hours on a clock. As 13 is immediately following the perfect number, it is deemed to be flawed. It is believed that adding a digit to a perfect number give you bad luck.

3. Billions of Dollars Are Lost on Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th is a very unlucky day for businesses. It is recorded that around a billion dollars a year are lost as people avoid doing business on Friday the 13th.

4. 13 Letters in a Name Means the Person is Unlucky

People who are superstitious believe that 13 letters in a name mean a person is cursed. Coincidentally, murderers including Charles Manson, Theodore Bundy, Albert Desalvo, and Jack the Ripper all have 13 letters in their name. Do you also believe in this superstition? Count how many numbers do you have in your name. Is it 13?

5. Women Menstruate Around 13 Times in a Year

Some superstitions believe that 13 is unlucky because women menstruate around 13 times in a year. But what menstruation cycle has to do with number? OMG! People are crazy; it is natural and has nothing to do with luck and misfortune.

6. Judas Theory

The fact that number 13 is unlucky is associated with the Judas Theory.  Christians believed that the number 13 is linked with Biblical traditions. For instance, there were 13 people present at the Last Supper - 12 Apostles and Jesus. People say that the last one to join the table was Judas (betrayer).

This one may be the origin of superstition that when 13 people eat together, then one would die the same year.

How Modern Culture Treats Number 13?

Source = Blogspot

Today, the phobia of 13 is widely accepted among modern people. Believing the superstitions and the stories behind the number 13, many airlines omit the 13th row in seating, hotels do not build the 13th floor, and even some streets skip the 13th street.

10 Popular Events Linked to Unlucky Number 13

Source = Seattletimes

Statistics show that most of the bad events happened on Friday the 13th.

1. Apollo 13 was launched on 11 April 1970 but suffered an oxygen tank explosion on 13 April. It returned to Earth on April 17.

2. During the Blitz attacks, the Nazis dropped bombs on Buckingham Palace on 13 September 1940.

3. A cyclone hit Bangladesh on 13 November 1970 and killed thousands of people.

4. On 13th Jan 1989, ‘Friday the 13th Virus’ infected hundreds of IBM computers in England. The virus crashed several important files.

5. It was on 13th October 1307 when French King Philip IV tortured hundreds of Knights Templar of the Temple of Solomon and arrested for accusations of homosexuality.

6. 13th July 1951 was doomsday for northeastern Kansas. The Kansas River rose to 12.4 m which was 4.5m above flood stage and 6 feet higher than any flood recorded to that date.

7. The cold war turned hot when the Soviet Union on 13th June 1952 shot down a Swedish military transport plane. Later, the Soviet Union claimed that it had no idea of shooting down the lost DC-3.

8. On 13th March 1964, Kitty Genovese (a bar manager) was attacked and raped by a stranger, Winston Moseley. Around 38 people witnessed the attack, but nobody called the police.

9. On 13 October 1972, the Uruguayan old Christians Club rugby team boarded on a plane to reach Chile. They never reached there because of a navigational error, and the plane got crashed on a high-altitude snowfield.

10. A rapper Tupac Shakur died of gunshot injuries in a Las Vegas hospital on 13 September 1996. Some people refuse to believe that Tupac died and claim that he is still alive.

Is There Any Treatment for Triskaidekaphobia?

Source = Verywellmind

Yes, you have medicines to cure fever, typhoid, and other diseases. Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment recorded to treat Triskaidekaphobia. But it is advised to talk to your doctor or probably to someone who could understand your fear.

Find a good therapist and talk about your fear of what happens when you see number 13. At the end of the day, you are the only one who can cure your phobia of number 13.

Final Words

Till date, it is not known why the number 13 is considered to be unlucky. But triskaidekaphobia is a fear for many people, and the date is avoided when there is a wedding or house warming.

What do you think- Is number 13 synonymous to bad luck justified?

Tell us are you also scared of the number 13? If not, do you have any other phobia? Drop your comments below.