“We really don’t know, Sir,” the front desk lady replied when I asked why there was no Room No. 213.
I recently checked-in in one of the hotels in Davao City. I was given Room No. 214. The room before that was Room No. 212. So, what happened to Room No. 213?
This was the first time I observed this. In the hotel I was staying in New York, there was no 13th floor. Flying from Singapore to South Africa, I noticed there was no seat 13; it jumped from 12 to 14.
The number 13 is considered to be an unlucky number in some countries. Charles Stewart Parnell had an irrational fear of the number thirteen. That fear is recognized as “triskaidekaphobia,” a word which was coined in 1911.
The superstitious sufferers of “triskaidekaphobia” try to avoid bad luck by keeping away from anything numbered or labeled thirteen. As a result, companies and manufacturers use another way of numbering or labeling to avoid the number, with hotels and tall buildings being conspicuous examples.
There are a number of theories behind the cause of the association between thirteen and bad luck, but none of them have been accepted as likely.
Some thought it had something to do with the Last Supper of Jesus Christ as there were thirteen people around the table, counting Christ and the twelve apostles. That’s why it’s also considered to be unlucky to have thirteen guests at a table.
In ancient Iranian civilization and Zoroastrianism, the number 13 had been considered sinister and wicked.
Since beginning of Nourooz tradition, the 13th day of each new Iranian year is called Sizdah Be-dar and this tradition is still alive among Iranian people both inside modern Iran and abroad.
Since Sizdah Be-dar is the 13th day of the year, it is considered a day which evil’s power might cause difficulties for people. As such, people desert the cities and urban areas for one day and camp in the countryside.
“Triskaidekaphobia” also may be related to Norse mythology, which tells how the god Odin invited eleven of his closest friends to a dinner party at his home in Valhalla, only to have his party crashed by Loki, the god of evil and turmoil, thus giving a total of 13 people.
The legend further relates how Balder, one of the most beloved gods, tried to throw Loki out of the party, resulting in a scuffle and ultimately Balder’s death with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.
While 13 is associated with the number of people at the Last Supper, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ took place on a Friday, thus leading to an association of back luck with the combination of this number and day.
However, the association of Friday the 13th with the arrest of Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, on Friday, October 13, 1307 by King Philippe IV of France – as repeated, for example, in D. Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code” – is a modern-day invention.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia, the aberrant fear of Friday the 13th, is probably the most widespread superstition in the United States (with the popularity of the “Friday the 13th” movie series).
Curiously enough, a study published in the prestigious “British Medical Journal,” which analyzed the relation between health, behavior, and superstition surrounding Friday 13th in the United Kingdom by comparing the ratio of traffic volume to traffic accidents on Friday the 6th and Friday the 13th over a period of years found that:
“The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended.”
Apparently, 13 has not always been considered unlucky. In fact, it appears that in ancient times, 13 was either considered in a positive light or (more commonly) not at all. The apparitions of the Virgin of Fátima in 1917 were claimed to occur on the 13th day of six consecutive months.
The American flag has 13 stripes in honor of the first 13 colonies. Apollo 13 was a NASA Moon mission famous for being a “successful failure” in that while the crew members were unable to land on the Moon as planned due to a technical malfunction, they were returned safely home.
Colgate University also considers 13 to be a lucky number. They were founded in 1819 by 13 men with 13 dollars, 13 prayers and 13 articles.
(To this day, members of the Colgate community consider the number 13 a good omen.) In fact, the campus address is 13 Oak Drive in Hamilton, New York, and the male a cappella group is called the Colgate 13.
American country-pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift was born on December 13.
She considers 13 her lucky number due to lucky events that happens to her when the number appears (her first album going gold in 13 weeks, being seated at awards shows in the 13th seat, row or section). She also wears the number written on her hand at her concerts so she has it with her everywhere she goes.
Chris Paul wore the number 13 for both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Mats Sundin, Pavel Datsyuk, Bill Guerin, and Michael Cammalleri wear 13 in the NHL.
One of Iceland’s best handball players, Sigurður Sveinsson, wore the number 13 when he played for the national team. In association football, both Gerd Müller and Michael Ballack have favored the number 13, among others.
Welcome, 2013!
