# Why is the number thirteen considered unlucky? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405 "2003-08-24T23:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jojothecannibal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jojothecannibal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jojothecannibal)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/1 "2003-08-24T23:26:28Z")
The subject says it all. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/2 "2003-08-24T23:37:14Z")
Cecil knows [all](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_080.html) . > [@](#): > > 13’s stock dropped like a rock in the middle ages. The proximate cause of this apparently was the observation that Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, made 13 at the table. Other great medieval minds, I read here, pointed out that “the Jews murmured 13 times against God in the exodus from Egypt, that the thirteenth psalm concerns wickedness and corruption, that the circumcision of Israel occurred in the thirteenth year,” and so on. > > In many a twelvemonth, to use an old term, there are 13 full moons, and a woman on a 28-day menstrual cycle will be “unclean,” as Leviticus has it, 13 times a year. The moon has long been a female symbol, and the full moon, (male) chroniclers tell us, is when (female) witches fly. I hesitate on that evidence alone to ascribe triskaidekaphobia to the fell hand of the patriarchy. But 13’s bad reputation may have more to do with fear of women, witchcraft, and disorder than is commonly supposed. Interesting… ---
**Author:** ![cherokee6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba9def/32.png) [@cherokee6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherokee6)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/3 "2003-08-24T23:42:49Z")
Actually, the number 13 is considered lucky in some cultures such as in the Orient, Mid-East, Southern Europe. Those cultures are more apt to use some form of numerology. I believe the European version is traced backed to the early days of Christianity with reference to the 12 disciples and Christ (being the 13th and unlucky one, in a sense). I’m sure Cecil will have time to research it and come up with a more accurate answer. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/4 "2003-08-27T05:12:40Z")
Thirteen unlucky? Hmmm. Who’d a thunk it? Triskadecamus ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/5 "2003-08-27T06:05:46Z")
13 at the dinner table: bad because the prosperous hostess has a set of 12 each dinner dishes, cups, saucers, silverware settings, etc. So she has to have one guest eating from an odd set-up, and sitting on an odd chair to boot. ---
**Author:** ![T.Mehr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@T.Mehr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Mehr)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/6 "2003-08-27T10:23:38Z")
The obvious follow up question is of course: **Why is Friday the 13th particulary unlucky?** ---
**Author:** ![hybrid\_dogfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hybrid\_dogfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hybrid_dogfish)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/7 "2003-08-27T10:38:18Z")
Interesting to note that many of the cultures which consider thirteen lucky are from the east, where the moon is often given greater significance than the sun (chinese lunar year, for example) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/8 "2003-08-27T13:50:35Z")
I always though it also had something to do with the fact that if you have thirteen of something, it’s impossible to divide equally. Whereas if you have a dozen donuts, you can split them fairly among six, four, three, or two people. Um, I meant donut holes, of course. Small donut holes. I’d never eat six donuts. No sirree Bob. Not me. Nor would I drink six beers. Nope. Uh, what were we talking about? ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-number-thirteen-considered-unlucky/197405/9 "2003-08-27T16:12:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quercus \* > **I always though it also had something to do with the fact that if you have thirteen of something, it’s impossible to divide equally.** Then why is seven lucky? Or what about any other prime number?