Unveiling the myths and mysteries of the number 13

A popular maxim states that the best way to predict the future is to look into the past. History has time and again proven the number 13 to be a sinister entity, sneaking in corners, ready to cause bad omens and accidents, so much so that the fair of this no over the centuries has compounded manifold to the point of causing looks of horrors at the prospect of residing at the “13th floor” of a building. The fear of this number has its own personalised jargon known as Triskaidekaphobia.

It is a combination of Greek words tris, meaning three, kai meaning and deka meaning ten and phobia meaning fear.

Apollo 13 was launched on 11 April and it underwent explosion on 13th of April [2 thirteens]

Zoroastrian tradition predicts chaos in 13th millennium.

• Another example is the Columbia space shuttle. this one went into space on 1/16/2003. Add all the members and you will get the number 13 .During its re-entry into earth, it exploded. All the crew members died.

• Many hotels in China and America don’t have a 13th floor. After 12th, either they have 12 and a half or 14th. Same goes for the number of houses too.
  
• 1 beg to differ.
• In ancient Greece, Zeus is considered as the thirteenth and the most powerful god. This thirteenth god seems to be associated with totally, completion and attainment.
• The ladder to eternity has thirteen steps, on reaching the 13th step, it is assumed that your soul attains spiritual completion.
• 13 is a prime number, which means it cannot be divided by any number other than itself. Hence, symbolises qualities of in corruptible nature and purity.
• In one of the most powerful civilisations of history, the Aztecs decided to have 13 days in a week as they considered 13 to be an extremely lucky number. Each day was ruled by one God. And the god who ruled the thirteenth day was associated with mystery, psyche and magic.
• As we know, 13 is the age of change or transition for every girl or boy. It is age when children officially become teenagers
• The us flag has 13 stripes, that represent the union of 13 colonies to fight the British rule, later these 13 colonies became the first thirteen states of United states of America.
• The Thai new year [ Songkran Day] is celebrated on the 13th April. It is considered to be a day of washing away all the bad omens by splashing water on people, friends and relatives.
• In Hindu mythology, Maha shivratri is celebrated on the thirteenth night of the Magha month, which is very scared and a holy night for all the devotees.
• In the scared book of Sikhs, the guru granth sahib, the word Waheguru which means eternal guru appears 13 times.
• The list goes on.
• Being a student of Mathematics, the first thing was that for a phenomenon to be true, there must be no exceptions. The phenomenon must be proved for every single condition. The fact that we are able to find numerous exceptions to this phenomenon is proof enough for it to be baseless superstition.