How 13 Got Its Fame

In 2007, Brussels Airlines unveiled its new logo, featuring the letter 'B' composed of multiple dotted points. However, just a few days later, they were compelled to modify it after passengers complained that the 13 points could bring bad luck to the airline. The solution? Add a 14th point. This superstition surrounding the number 13 is prevalent in Western societies, but where does it originate?

The Last Supper involved 13 participants in Christianity: Jesus and his 12 apostles. Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, is believed to have been the 13th guest to arrive. This association may have contributed to the perception of the number 13 as linked to betrayal and negative consequences. Intriguingly, a similar story appears in Norse mythology. The god Loki crashes a banquet attended by 12 gods, leading to the death of the beloved god Balder as the uninvited 13th guest.

Could both of these stories be influenced by an earlier event? One possibility traces back to the ancient Sumerians, who developed one of the first known writing systems around 4000 BCE. They used a base-12 numbering system, which could have contributed to the notion of 13 being an irregular and potentially unfavorable number. Interestingly, many aspects of modern life that we take for granted, such as the months of the year and the zodiac signs, also revolve around the number 12.

It's fascinating how certain ideas become so deeply embedded in our civilizations and cultures that we rarely question them. The superstition surrounding the number 13 is primarily a Western construct, while other cultures have their own unlucky numbers, such as the number 4 in large parts of Asia. This serves as a potent reminder of how humans can build flawed beliefs upon one another, crafting powerful narratives that reinforce them until they become widely accepted norms, with few people questioning their origins.

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