# According to
Smithsonian Magazine "fear of the #13 costs American a billion
dollars per year in absenteeism, train and plane cancellations,
and reduced commerce on the 13th of the month."
# Fear of Friday the 13th dates back to Nordic Mythology. Many
of their thirteenth Gods met with violent deaths, such as Loki,
the trickster.
# Ancient Romans regarded the number 13 as a symbol of death,
destruction and misfortune.
# Lizzy Borden uttered a total of 13 words at her trial.
# There were 13 original colonies.
# A witches coven consists of 13 members.
# Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim
Reaper (although it is read as transition or change and not
literal death).
# Hotels rarely have a room number 13. Usually it is called 12a
or 14. Same with floors of buildings and the elevators without a
#13 button. Highways sometimes will skip exit 13 altogether
also.
# The driver of Princess Diana hit pillar #13 at Place de l'Alma when
she was killed in Paris, France.
# 13 people, Christ and his 12 disciples, were in attendance at the last
supper. This is where the Christian belief ties in, making Friday a
believed unlucky day, as the crucifixtion occurred on a Friday.
# Certain ocean liners will be held in dock until after midnight to
appease passenger's fears on Friday the 13th.
# British study concluded that even though there were less cars on the
road on Friday the 13th (as compared with other Fridays) more accidents
were reported.
# Trisadekaphobia is the technical name for fear of Friday the 13th.
# Apollo 13, 1970, the 13th mission launched from pad #39 (13 x 3),
mission was aborted, after an explosion occurred in the fuel cell of
their service module. The rocket had left launcing pad at 13:13 CST and
the date was April 13th.
# Epluribus Unum has 13 letters.
# The US Seal has 13 stars, bars, feathers in the eagle's tail, 13 bars
in one claw, 13 olive branches in the other.
# A "quatrorzieme" is a professional 14th guest hired by the French who
had only 13 guests in attendance for dinner, who felt that was unlucky.
# A baker's dozen consists of 13 for a reason! So the story goes a witch
near Albany, NY demanded 13 items every time she came in to a particular
bakery, and one day the old baker could not afford her extra biscuit.
She sneered some strange words at the man, and he suffered terrible luck
from then on, until he brought her another 13 rolls. After that life was
once again easy for the baker and word spread around town. The custom is
still sometimes practiced today.
