by Pauline Abreu

Created on: September 30, 2009   Last Updated: February 01, 2010

Superstitions in regards to numbers and dates have been prevalent throughout the centuries. Civilizations all over the world have firm beliefs that certain numbers and dates represent bad luck. The most common superstition is that of the number 13 bringing bad luck. This number is particularly frowned upon in Europe and the US, a lot of hotels and office building in these countries don't have a room 13. The number is very rarely used in airports, with the lane number being skipped in anything relating to the plane, or seating situations.

There are many theories as to why the number is considered bad luck, the most common reason stems from a religious point of view. When the 12 apostles and Jesus took part in the last supper, Judas was the 13th guest, after the meal he betrayed his master, and through his guilt he hanged himself. He was said to be damned for all time as his punishment. The superstition of not having 13 guests at a party is known in France, Napoleon was said to have started the bad luck theory, and would not have this amount of guests at a table at any one time.

The number 7 is sometimes regarded as being lucky, but some people look upon the number as a bad omen. The number 4 is considered bad luck by the Chinese and Japanese, as when pronounced in the Asian language, the word for 4 sounds like the word for death. A strange statistic is that Chinese and Japanese, cardiac deaths, which have occured in the United States, have happened 7 percent more often on the fourth of each month. Many buildings in China and Japan will refuse to list a 4th floor, and the number is not allowed to be assigned to any aircrafts.

A lot of people base the date on which they are to get married on superstitions. Some say that it will bring misfortune if the couple marries on the date of either one of their birthdays, so if their birthdays were the 1 of June and the 8th of May, they should not marry on this day of any month. Any date in the month of May is considered to be unlucky, and a particular bad month for marriage. This superstition goes back to ancient Roman times when May was a month to mourn the dead. Friday is said to be an unlucky day, as this was the day when Jesus was crucified, but for marriage it is not as there is supposed to be protection from Freya, a Norse goddess.

Whether you believe in superstitions, or not, it is still interesting to read the theories behind them. Superstitions continue to stop or provoke people in to doing something at a certain time, date, or day. People also don't do something on a particular day, or at a certain time in order to expel the myths of superstitions. In reality, as long as there is no danger to the person, superstitions are harmless thoughts from previous years gone by.  Numbers play a particularly big part in the world of superstition. 

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