Research Paper on "Belief and Knowledge the 13 Is Bad Luck"

Research Paper 3 pages (1082 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Belief and Knowledge the #13 is Bad Luck

Significance of the Number

Feelings behind the number 13 are so significant there are those who suffer from triskaidekaphobia: the fear of the number 13. Superstitions are present in nearly every culture around the world, and affect the behaviors of the individuals who believe them. Western cultures regard the number 13 as a mark of bad luck and trace its roots to Jesus Christ and the Last Supper (Scanlon, Luben, Scanlon & Singleton, 1993). The number 13 has also held importance in cultures predating the time of Jesus Christ, and its origin has been attributed to the ancient Greeks and Greek mythology. While Western cultures view the number 13 as a sign of bad luck and misfortune, other cultures revere the number 13 as sacred. Whether one believes the number 13 to be either evil or sacred, the number 13 often notes superstitious, religious, or holy significance.

Several Christians attribute the number 13 superstition in Western culture to the misfortune experienced by Jesus Christ following the Last Supper (Lachenmeyer, 2004). The dining of 13 and its subsequent bad luck is exemplified by Christ and his 12 disciples. The 13 individuals were seated together during the Last Supper, and the next day, Christ was crucified. Judas, the betrayer of Christ, also died. From these events, the interpretation of the superstition varies. There are those that believe the number 13 and its bad luck mirrors the fate of Christ, while others believe it reflects the misfortune of Judas (Lachenmeyer, 2004). Dining as a party of 13 is a bad omen, and according to superstition, is an indication that one member of the party will die within one year. Friday the 13th is another superstition with predominate Christian origins. Friday alone is considered unlucky to Christians; Good Friday was the day on which Christ was crucified (Scanlon et al., 1993). Friday the 13th is deemed exceptionally unfortunate. On Friday the 13th, 1307, King Philip IV ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar in France, which eventually led to their torture and death (Number 13, 2010).

The number 13 and its imposed superstition on dining, however, predates Christianity. The Romans also loathed the number 13, and regarded it as a symbol of death, misfortune, and destruction (Scanlon et al., 1993). Roman attitudes about the number 13 are believed to have originated in Greek and Roman mythology, long before the appearance of Christ. Greek mythology refers to the Valhalla banquet, to which twelve of the gods were invited. Loki, the spirit of strife and mischief, intruded and interrupted their party. Loki became the thirteenth guests, and Baldur, the favorite of the gods who attended the party, was killed (Radford & Radford, 1949). The number 13 and its significance to dining is so extreme, restaurants have been known to refuse setting a table for 13 guests. For example, if someone makes a dinner reservation for thirteen guests at the Savoy Hotel in London, the table will be set for fourteen. At the fourteenth place setting, Kasper, a three foot sculpture of a cat, will be seated. Kasper will be served all the courses of the meal to legitimately establish the sculpture as the fourteenth guest (Number 13, 2010).

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