Subsequently, the concept of "unlucky number 13" entered the zeitgeist, and by , the term triskaidekaphobia, which means " fear of the number 13 ," was coined by a pioneering psychologist, further perpetuating the superstition.
The myth about the number's unlucky attributes continued to build throughout the 20th century, and in , its place in the collective conscious — along with its connection to Friday — was solidified by the slasher film Friday the 13th. Today, the number 13 is synonymous with misfortune and the macabre.
People tend not to shop, travel, or schedule important events on Friday the 13, and according to CNBC , businesses lose hundreds of millions of dollars because of it. And while no one really knows why the number 13 has such a bad reputation, over the years, several convincing theories have been posited as to why the figure is so haunted. Below, read the three main reasons why the number 13 is steeped in superstition. The most common theory that explains why the number 13 is deemed unlucky is actually based on Biblical Christianity.
During the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles before his crucifixion, Judas was believed to be the 13th guest. It's no surprise, then, that the earliest incarnation of the number 13 superstition related to seating arrangements. According to Nathaniel Lachenmeyer author of The Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition , it was believed that if 13 people sat at a table, one would die within a year.
Though extreme, this fatalistic notion referred to as "13 a table" was so ubiquitous that New England-based myth-busters created a group — The Thirteen Club — specifically to debunk the superstition. The Thirteen Club's agenda was simple: Sit a group of 13 people for dinner to prove that no one would die after a year. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Live TV. This Day In History. For example, there are bad things that happen on the 15th all the time, but we are creating associations between bad and this number.
What do you think is the reason people got stuck on the number 13, is it because of the biblical references? Yes, for some people it was biblical with Judas as the 13th person at the last supper. I also read that 13 has significance to Egyptians because they believe that life has 13 stages and the 13th is the last resulting in death. The fear of Friday religiously stemmed from the fact that this was they day Jesus was crucified.
I always find this idea kind of funny because when I was a little kid I used to tell people that 13 was my lucky number just to hear their reaction. My family has always believed in lucky numbers but never unlucky numbers, strictly because my grandpa had numbers that he would always play in the lottery and he always won.
I felt so funny when I first heard that. Since I come from a different culture, 13 has no any special meaning in my cultural and this belief reminds me that how culture could influence people that much. I had not heard of a few of the reasons that you brought up why people are superstitious, the Judas example was a new one for me. Why not beware of Tuesday the 13th?
I mentioned in a previous comment that Friday was the day that Jesus was crucified so those who believe this because of religion might have this reasoning. Ironically, in the Greek world Tuesday is actually said to be unlucky because it was the day the Fall of Constantinople occurred.
I think that if we did enough research we could find cultures and reasons why people believe every day of the week is unlucky. I found this post to be really interesting just because of the fact there are so many people out there who swear by the idea that 13 anything is a cause for alarm. Friday the 13th is a great example that is brought up all of the time and yes, there might be freak instances where you make a mistake or become unlucky on that day, but how do you compare that to every other day?
People make mistakes almost every day. Some mistakes can be very minute and some can be very large, but I think this is all due to the availability heuristic when it comes to performing these mistakes on the 13th day of any month or Friday alike. People like to find other reasons for why they make mistakes ALL the time.
I think movies and other forms of media help as well for bringing this belief into view. Overall I think the idea of being unlucky or lack of performance in general is largely altered depending on the individual. Some people find luck in situations that others might deem unlucky or the opposite!
Thank you for this post! The only number I have ever heard is unlucky because it is connected to the bible was the number 6 because 7 is kind of seen as a holy number. The only negative stigma that I have heard of the number 13 was through movies such as Friday the 13th.
I think the only reason people connect bad events to the number 13th is because they already have this built in fear. So, they just focus on the bad things that happen to them confirmation bias. I liked your topic for your blog post! Indeed, some footballers are slaves to ridiculous rituals. Mrs Hemming says once a lucky or unlucky notion gets into your head it is "very hard to un-know it" and more of an effort to avoid it than go along with it.
Joan Carthy and Paulette Hall are sitting on a windowsill in Birmingham city centre waiting to go to work. And knowing my luck it'd be a house brick. This story was inspired by questions sent in by readers and a version was first published in England's strange winter rituals.
Friday 13th - unlucky for some. Superstitions in medieval England. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. But do they really believe it? Do you think Friday 13th is unlucky? John and Gillie Hemmer say they have "no qualms" about Friday 13th.
0コメント