Why is the number 13 associated with being unlucky? where did this myth originate and why?

Question

Why is the number 13 associated with being unlucky? where did this myth originate and why?

Answer 1

don't know it shouldn't be its my bday  

Answer 2

There are a lot of myths.  Everything from dates that bad things have happened (like Jesus's crucification) to the 13 rotations of the moon around the earth per year.  No one really knows what the truth is, but I have never had a bad luck 13 issue :)

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_(number)

Answer 4

because being 13 is the horrible! seriously, thirteen year olds are bratty, confusted, mean, depressed, moody, and akward!

Answer 5

Ever notice we have 12 monthes in a year.  But often 13 full moons in a year.

So the nature religion practictioner's liked that!  And believed that was lucky, and adopted the number 13 in many of their beliefs.  

Like 13 witch's in a circle, etc.  A coven.  That, besides there beliefs, was to always keep the circle working Magick well.  For intimacy, friendship!  It works better for people getting to know each other.

Then when the "New Religion", Christianity came along, then, Yes.  That was an attempt to make Christianity look bad.

The new religion has a hard time winning new believer's away from the religions that have been they're longtime loves.

So they do often resort to saying bad things about the Old Religions, throughout history.

Answer 6

dante's inferno? bible?

Answer 7

I don't think 13 is an unlucky number, its my B'DAY...!!!

Answer 8

The notion goes back at least to Norse mythology in the Pre-Christian era. There was a banquet at Valhalla, to which the 12 Gods were invited. Loki, the the spirit of strife and evil, gate crashed, raising the number present to thirteen. In the ensuing struggle to evict Loki, Balder, the favorite of the Gods was killed This is one of the earliest written references to misfortune surrounding the number 13. From Scandinavia the superstition spread south throughout Europe. By the dawn of the Christian era it was well established in countries along the Mediterranean. Then, folklorists claim, the belief was resoundingly reinforced, perhaps for all time by history's most famous meal; The Last Supper. Christ and his apostles numbered thirteen. Less then 24 hours later Christ was crucified.

Answer 9

It's basically the same as a black cat supposedly being bad luck, at least in some faiths. Way back when, when christianity was emerging, the church was looking for ways to make the pagans(believers of other religions) look bad and blasphemous. Because 13 is a ritual number used by a lot of pagans/witches, such as 13 witches in a coven, they said it was bad luck.

Good luck!  

Answer 10

my dad always told me that 13 for him was a lucky number. Nothing ever bad happened to him on Friday the 13th, only good things. For me I could take it or leave it. I dont do the bad luck things like walking under a ladder, or opening an umbrella in the house. It is all nonsense. If you look for the negativity, bad, that is all you will find. So throw those superstitious non sense out the window. Look for the positive in life.