Airports typically exclude Gate 13. Some buildings skip the 13th floor. And Friday the 13th is not known as a lucky day.
The fear of the number 13 is a superstition with a complicated name — triskaidekaphobia. The idea the number 13 is unlucky isn’t rational, of course, and for most, any unease about the number doesn’t rise to the level of a phobia. And yet an awful lot of people give the number a subtle (or overt) power over their actions.
What about broken mirrors? Black cats? Walking under ladders? Whether we believe in superstitions or not, they can influence behavior. Where do superstitions come from and how can they hold so much power in our lives? Read more in Medscape.