Published with permission from LuxuryWeb.com
Across many cultures, the number 13 has long been considered unlucky, but it becomes even more ominous when it lands on a Friday. This deep-rooted fear has a name: Triskaidekaphobia, a term with Greek origins that refers to the fear of the number 13. Though some attribute the term to Sigmund Freud, its true etymology is firmly rooted in ancient Greek.
For those suffering from triskaidekaphobia, the number 13 is linked to bad luck and misfortune. In fact, many buildings in New York City, as well as in other parts of the world, avoid labeling their 13th floor, skipping straight from 12 to 14. I once had a photography studio in a Manhattan building without a 13th floor. We used to joke about what we might find if the elevator stopped between the 12th and 14th floors, but fortunately, that never happened.
Airlines and airports also avoid the number 13 on aisles, flights, and gates — sometimes for logistical reasons, but often to cater to triskaidekaphobia. According to the Wall Street Journal, this superstition affects various areas of life. I know someone who would never sit in the 13th row at a movie theater or even watch Channel 13 on television.
Some believe this superstition dates back to the Last Supper, where 13 individuals, including Jesus, gathered the day before His crucifixion. Others link the fear to the fall of the Byzantine Empire, when Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) was captured by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453. While neither the date nor day of the week aligns with the superstition, adding the digits of the year 1453 together results in the number 13, fueling the belief.
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For those who fear the number 13, its occurrence on a Friday — another day traditionally associated with bad luck—brings a heightened sense of dread. This fear has its own name: Paraskevidekatriaphobia, another Greek term. Hollywood even capitalized on this fear with the Friday the 13th horror films, where the date is synonymous with terror and a relentless serial killer.
Interestingly, another number surrounded by fear and superstition is 666, linked to the phobia known as Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia. This fear stems from religious beliefs, particularly the biblical “Mark of the Beast” referenced in Revelation 13:17-18. The King James Version states: “the number of the beast is six hundred threescore and six,” which is 666. This association with evil and the apocalyptic visions in Revelation make it a number that terrifies many.
The same friend who feared the number 13 also refused to enter 666 Fifth Avenue. Interestingly, the office tower, formerly known by its infamous address, shed its superstitious number when Brookfield Asset Management purchased the ground lease in 2018 and renamed it 660 Fifth Avenue after a $400 million renovation.
As I finish writing this article on Friday, September 13, 2024, at 13:00 hours (1:00 pm), I can report that nothing catastrophic has happened — at least, not yet!
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