NUMBER 13

 

The belief that the number 13 is unlucky is very ancient. The Romans believed the number 13 was a symbol of death and destruction. The Christian belief that the number brings bad luck is often said to come from the Last Supper, when Christ sat down with his 12 disciples, making 13 people. Some people think that the first person to leave a dinner table at which there are 13 diners will die before the end of the year.

Unlucky for some:

·        The 13^th Apollo space mission was known as Apollo 13. On 13 April 1970, there was an explosion on board, and the spacecraft began to leak oxygen. This happened two days after it took off at 13:13 (1.13 pm). The spacecraft only just made it back to Earth.

·        On Friday, 13 September 1928, a hurricane killed 2000 people in Puerto Rico, Florida and the Virgin Islands, and caused approximately $25 million in damage.

·        There is no building in Paris that bears the number 13.

·        Italy omits the number 13 from its national lottery.

Lucky for Others:

·        The number 13 was sacred for Mayans and Aztecs of Central America, and it is traditionally a lucky number in China.

·        Buddhists pay homage to the number 13. Buddha and the orthodox Jewish prayer book hold 13 principles of faith.