I’m not a very superstitious person but I can honestly say that I’ve never passed a single exam in that dreadful classroom marked with the number 13. Now, you can say it’s just a coincidence and that I was supposed to study more or find a very logical explanation no science will ever consider valid – number 13 and all the bad luck associated with it. Scientifically validated or not, this number plays a big role in some people’s lives. So big that even hotel owners, hospitals and governments choose to skip it! So let me tell you a few interesting things about this number:
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Some hotel guests are just too superstitious to sleep in a room numbered 13 and some have even reported bizarre accidents and supernatural phenomenon in the rooms with this number. Rational or not, the fear of this number is so great that some hotels even decided to get rid of it by labeling the rooms 12a and 12b.
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Better leave somebody out or call a fourteenth guest because a dinner for 13 is said to be fatal for the one that leaves the table first. People who believe in this claim that whoever stands up first will die within a year and, if you don’t believe it, just look at how Jesus Christ’s last supper ended. The French have gone so far that they even have professional agencies that will send you the jinx-breaking 14th guest in case you don’t have one!
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Here’s one interesting fact you can research and verify without the fear of dying – Some cities don’t have a street or an avenue numbered 13! I don’t know about the house number though because I’ve lived in a house numbered 13 for many years and nothing very bad or strange ever happened. I did have a black cat back then so maybe these two bad luck charms kind of neutralized each other?
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Apollo 13 had been launched in the 13th hour from pad 39 (13+13+13=39) and it had three astronauts with scheduled sleeping times 13 minutes past the full hour. So, with this unlucky number repeated so many times, superstitious ones would probably say the legendary crash was inevitable.
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If you’re looking to buy a lottery ticket number 13, France and Italy are probably not the good place to look for it because their state lotteries don’t print tickets with the number that could cripple the lucky winner’s chances. Still not convinced number 13 brings bad luck? Well, many hospitals all around the world wouldn’t agree with you on that! In fact, they are so dedicated in their mission to provide only the best care that there is no surgery room number 13!
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According to one theory, tampering with this dangerous odd number is what got Alexander the Great killed. But what happened? Well, it all starts with the number 12 –with 12 months, 12 gods for each one and 12 zodiac signs, the number 12 logically symbolizes harmony. Alexander, however, wanted to be a God himself so he had his statue done and…surprise, surprise… the self-proclaimed 13th God died shortly after that.
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You can wear mismatching socks, break a glass or try many other tricks to help you reduce the amount of bad luck that’s bound to strike on this supposedly bad day. I personally don’t have any bad memories of this date, in fact, it usually turns out to be a very long, boring day. However, statistic data reveals something completely different! Did you know that the number of accidents is higher on Friday the 13th even though a lot of people choose to walk rather than take a car or a bus?
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Thirteen people have been present on the dinner before Jesus was crucified. Eve managed to persuade Adam to try the apple on Friday. French King Philip IV had arrested the Templar knights on Friday, 13th October 1307.
This number is apparently so unlucky that even Microsoft decided to skip it – Office 2007 has versions 12 and 14 but not 13! Now, what do you say about that?! Do you believe in the mysterious, bad influence of the number 13? Have you ever had a bad event on Friday the 13th and do you let a thing like superstition influence your big investments, schedules or business meetings?
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