Friday the thirteenth is considered the unluckiest of days. It happens once a year. This year, it will be in June. There is an irrational fear of the number 13.
The fear of the number thirteen is very powerful in the real estate sector, many high-rise buildings lack a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
Despite the fact that many people consider the number 13 to be unlucky, for many South-east Asian Chinese it is considered a specifically auspicious number.
Pronounce in Cantonese, it means 'definitely can survive (anything)'. hehe.....
I like auspicious numbers but am not superstitious. My hubby once drove a car with the number plate 174 for 6 years. It means 'to die together'. We are still alive. *smiles*
photohunt
Hmmm ... there are buildings (especially in Thailand I think) that skip the 13th floor too (and 14th).
ReplyDeleteJust a number eh? Why the fuss?
wilfrid,
ReplyDeleteFor the Chinese, 14 is very unlucky, it means 'sure to die'!
Just a number!! The number 8 is worth a fortune when it comes to car number plates and house number!
In the Philippines, buildings also don't have any 13th floor.
ReplyDeleteMany dread Friday the 13th but I always try to think positive and pray for all to go well.
I like your take,ECL! Never thought of that! And very inspiring too!
ReplyDeleteIn Italy, 13 is a lucky number!! Because if you get all 13 correctly on the weekly Lotto numbers, you're rich beyond your dreams!
ReplyDeleteAha. Me not that particular with numbers. But I never know there is only one Friday the 13th in a year. Guess I just never really bother. Hehe.
ReplyDeleteOver here, whenever I see a car with car plate with 8,88,888 on the road, it's always belong to an Asian. :)
ReplyDeleteI think this fear is called triskadeliaphobia, or something like that.
ReplyDeletei consider 13 to be just an ordinary number... haha.. actually this week's theme really got me dumbfounded1!!
ReplyDeleteGreat entry for 13! I think of it as lucky :) Happy photo hunting!
ReplyDeleteGood post for the 13 theme. One of my sisters lives in Manhattan in a high rise on the 13th floor but it says 14 in the elevator and on her address. Kind of silly since we all know that when you go from 12 to 14, you're actually on 13. She's lived in the same apartment on the 13th floor or rather 14th floor according to the elevator for 32 years and has had reasonably good luck in life.
ReplyDeleteGreat take on this week's theme. What is seen to be bad luck for one society is good fortune for another. Live's rich tapestry! Happy Weekend
ReplyDelete13 is my lucky number =)
ReplyDeleteGreat take on the theme, ECL.
I was told a Chinese name with 13 strokes can give the best to that person. So, I guess 13 is only unlucky for ang mos?
ReplyDeleteI think being superstitious is such an Asian thing?
ReplyDeleteMy family wasn't too bad with numbers but I did notice my girlfriend that was Chinese...her family TOTALLY was.
When I saw the theme was 13. First thing that came into my mind - Friday the 13th!!
ReplyDeleteIf the theme number today is 8 hor, it'll be pretty easy for us Chinese :P
Huat arh!!!!
I'm not superstitious as well and my office building in Makati doesn't have 13th floor but I don't really consider 13 as unlucky. Nice take :)
ReplyDeleteIn bakery business is pretty lucky a bakers dozen will be 13.
ReplyDeleteNot 12.
My photo is up.
I don't think anything bad has every happened to me on any Friday the 13th.
ReplyDeleteI like the story of your husband's licensce plate number :)
Glad you are still alive ECL. No 13th floor in some but no 4th or 14th in others! All too confusing. Have a good weekend ECL
ReplyDeleteGood choice for the theme! I usually go through those days fine and try not to think of the horror movies.
ReplyDeleteIf you believe, then it is. See how customs, traditions, practices and religions have "fraud" peoples' belief system.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to have faith and confidence in handling life's offer, although the ultimate unknown factor is always the God you acknowledge (not believe, please).
I was influence when I stayed in HKG for 2 years and was working there. My ex-boss who is a british was so superstitious and the number 4 is banned in the office...Everywhere number 4 is avoided and now it just become a habit for me to avoid any number 4.."paranoid""??
ReplyDeletePearl
174 muahahaha
ReplyDeleteI wonder other than Chinese (8,4,14 etc) and the Westerners (number 13), which race is as obsessed with numbers as them?
Funny, in the Southern hemisphere is Tuesday the 13th the bad one. Lucky day is Friday the 13th!
ReplyDeleteMr. Mar was born on a 13th, my sister lives on a 13th floor, we all think of 13 as our lucky number.
Happy PH and happy weekend :)
I love 13. Even my birth date and month add up equals 13. And I won a free trip to Hong Kong with ticket number 13. How I wished I can still stay at 13 years old .. haha :P
ReplyDeleteECL,
ReplyDeleteAs always you have great post and picture for the theme. I like your big bold 13 on Friday in your calendar.
I'm not superstitious and I accept all numbers the same. It's interesting to observe that the number which ends with 13 sounds good in Chinese, and the number 14 sounds bad in Chinese. I learned from an Indian that 14 sounds like a good number to them and 8 sounds bad.
13 is just another number and I think a quite cute one - look at the shape of it :lol:
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great end to your week and welcome over to me in Norway if you get hungry!
That was a good idea ! We have n° 13 as housenumbers without any problem, but in Hotels people are more reluctant to 13.
ReplyDelete13 € are about 18 US$ so you can have a decent lunch with it.
great idea for the theme, mine's up too hope you can drop by.
ReplyDeleteI like your post. I like to learn things, and you sparked interesting comments, too
ReplyDeleteI've been reading back a bit, and I find what you say about Feng Shui interesting. Something I must look into, I think.
so romantic to want to die together. now change number arh??? dun wanna die together anymore? hehehe
ReplyDeleteglad u r still alive in spite of 174 :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear about 174, but I hear a lot of 13...most buildings will skip that floor.
ReplyDeleteShoshana
I love this shot for the theme!
ReplyDeleteAll the while I only know that 13th Friday is Black Friday and 14th floor is not exist in hospital, apartments or office block..."sat sie" (must die)
ReplyDeleteNow I know numebr 13 too in some other way!
Nice photograph. I consider Friday the thirteenth a lucky day for myself.
ReplyDeleteI've got my PhotoHunt entry up at http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/ in case you're interested. If you do visit, please leave a comment and feel free to explore the rest of my little blog.
o-o, this year my wedding anniversary falls on the friday the 13th...
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