Is Number 13 Really an Unlucky Number?

We try to stay away from the number thirteen because we consider it an unlucky number. We think it will be bring us nothing but bad luck, especially when the 13th of a given month falls on a Friday.

But is that really the case? Is number thirteen really an unlucky number?

There really is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on who you ask and on the experiences that people have had in this lifetime with the number thirteen.

Personally, I don't think that 13 is an unlucky number because I can't recall anything bad happening to me on the 13th or when coming in contact with the number 13 in some way.

Below are some interesting facts about the number 13. How many of these do you already know. Read on to find out.

• Taylor Swift was born on December 13th. Her first album Taylor Swift reached Gold status in thirteen weeks since its official release. She considers 13 a lucky number and tattoos it on her hand at each of her concerts.
• Megadeath, a heavy metal band, titled their thirteenth studio album TH1RT3EN. It consisted of thirteen tracks. The last song was called 13.
• In Italy 13 is considered to be a lucky number.
• Shaquille O'Neal wore a No. 13 jersey in 1996 during an international basketball championship.
• Colgate University also considers 13 to be a lucky number. The university was founded in 1819 by "13 men with 13 dollars, 13 prayers and 13 articles."
• .In rugby each side has 13 players on the field at any given time.
• There are 13 notes in a full chromatic musical octave (by inclusive counting).
• The moon moves 13 degrees around the earth every single day.
• The number 13 represented femininity in ancient cultures. The reason being that it corresponded to the number of menstrual (lunar) cycles in a given year.
• There were 13 people seated at the table at Jesus Christ's Last Supper.
• 13 is a Fibonacci number.
• The original flag of the United States had 13 stars and 13 stripes that represented the original thirteen colonies.
• Out of the 11-17 NASA Apollo missions only Apollo 13 didn't land on the moon. This was due to serious technical malfunctions that resulted in the mission being aborted.
• The thirteenth James Bond movie is called Octopussy (not including Casino Royale).
• The thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution dealt with abolition of slavery.
• Not all buildings in the US with over thirteen floors skip the 13th floor when it comes to numbering them.
• If you visit Florence Italy you will notice that a house located between house #12 and house #14 will be house #12 1/2 rather than house #13.
• Airplanes do not have aisle #13.
• Italians exclude number 13 from their national lottery.
• The fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.
• The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Do you consider the number 13 an unlucky number? What experiences did you have with the number thirteen? Please share them in the comments.

Some people are actually afraid of the number 13. This would then be considered a phobia.

What other phobias exist out there that are both common and uncommon? Find out in the article below.