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Reply author: SlinkyKat
Replied on: 09 September 2005 12:03:07 PM
Message:

I was born on the 13th (a Tuesday, though I've had a few Friday-the-13th birthdays before - and had great luck all year!), so 13 is actually my lucky number. Others, however, are not so keen on my digits. Here's why:

"The number 13 has been considered unlucky for a long time, and by people all over the world. The early Romans thought 13 was a sign of death and destruction. And according to Norse mythology, if you sat 13 people down at a table, that was very unlucky. (Why? At a banquet of 12 people in Valhalla, an intruder –number 13 – caused the death of Balder’s son Odin). The number of people at the last supper of Christ and the twelve Apostles confirmed the superstition about the number 13 in withes were believed to meet in “covens” that hat 13 members.

The fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. Many hotels have no room 13, and many buildings have no 13th floor. Next time you fly, see if there is a row 13 in the plane. As date, 13 isn’t too lucky either, especially when it falls on Friday. That was always thought of as a really bad day to start a new project or to begin a ship voyage. Movers, doctors and dentists say their business drops on Friday the 13th. The good news is that a maximum of three Friday the 13th can occur in a year, and sometimes there is just one."