Is the Number 13 Making You Sick?

Hospital admissions and auto accidents rise on Friday, the 13th. It shows how the power of superstition can imprint the mind. Check out an abstract of a 1993 study published in the British Medical Journal provocatively titled "Is Friday the 13th Bad for Your Health?" The study's authors compared the ratio of traffic volume to the number of automobile accidents on two different days, Friday the 6th and Friday the 13th, over a period of years.

The study noted, according to the Urban Legends website, that while consistently fewer people chose to drive their cars on Friday the 13th, the number of hospital admissions due to vehicular accidents was significantly higher than on usual Fridays. The study's conclusion reported: "Friday 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended." Read the abstract of a study published in the British Medical Journal in
1993 entitled "Is Friday the 13th bad for your health?"

Do certain days imprint your unconscious mind, causing anxiety similar to a belief in voodoo? The topic is called Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Friday the 13th Origins, History, and Folklore. It's mainly the media that keeps reminding you of the day, in a way possibly enhancing a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th or making fun of it. But even if the day is poked fun at, you're reminded again and again to think about how it affects your health. Are you still in the grips of superstitions that affect your health, and is superstition another anti-health trend?

Are you sometimes annoyed, made anxious or feel sick by the thought of Friday, the 13th--the day, not the movie? If so, it could be because almost every time that date comes up, you'll hear all over most of the news references to some aberration taking place, some superstition, some anxiety being aroused.

Does the news of Friday the 13th change you physiologically, such as raise our blood pressure or send your nerves into a feeling of uneasiness that can be measured in your doctor's office? It's because too much attention is being given to this same superstition, mainly on the radio, TV, and in the news. It's not a healthy trend to dwell on Friday the 13th.

How do Sacramento media handle the 'culture' of Friday the 13th, locally? You could stay on the historic 13th floor, of the historic Citizen Hotel, featuring updates to the decor that capture its original features, like the impressive tile work in the larger bathrooms. How the media handles this is by encouraging people to stay on the historic 13th floor because, as the Citizen Hotel website notes, "Some say that a friendly ghost occasionally makes an appearance."

The Citizen Hotel's philanthropic partner in the You Can Make a Difference program is the Child Abuse Prevention Center. Their mission is to protect children throughout Sacramento County from the risk or impact of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Joie de Vivre Hotels is a grass roots organization that strives to have a positive impact on the Sacramento community. Each of the Joie de Vivre (Joy of Life) Hotels is dedicated to donating a minimum of $200 per guest room per year to organizations in their communities. The Citizen Hotel is the only downtown Sacramento hotel offering 20th century grace redefined by 21st century urban luxury.

Built in 1926, the historic Cal Western Life building combines the allure of Sacramento's distinctive past while providing all the luxuries and innovations of today. The hotel's décor reflects the elegance of a historic era, with ornate features such as vaulted ceilings, lead-paned windows, ornate woodwork, hand-crafted staircase railings and Italian marble - meticulously refurbished to their original beauty.

As for the ghost, does the spirit appear on the 13th floor on the 13th of Friday? What's usually heard is the quote, "The only thing that dead ends in Sacramento today is the State Legislature." Check out the articles, "The Best Geek Hotels in the World in 2010," and Citizen Hotel to put a computer in every room.

The media covers the number 13 in curious ways. Valley Community Newspapers, mentions at its website that in 1968, the 13th floor of the 83-year old Elks Building at 11th and J streets in downtown Sacramento became home to the newly created radio station, KZAP, which debuted on the FM dial as a free form station playing extremely vast offerings of music.

The Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel is located at 13th and J Street at 1230 J Street. The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento is located at 13th and L Street. So why do the media sometimes go to extremes to get attention making the number 13 a news item? Sometimes the number 13 is extended to articles about various hotels. The question the media frequently ask is "Why do so many hotels (in any area) omit the 13th floor?

It's not because of superstition touted in the media many times when the 13 day of the month or almost any 13th anniversary rolls around. It's not to claim the fame of having a haunted building. It's not about Halloween or to publicize the movie or its series, "Friday, the 13th." And it's not so much to ignite incendiary feelings or superstition. It's about buzz appeal and publicity that can be focused on any object related in any way to the number.

Why some hotels omit the 13th floor usually is because the levels of a multi-story building are numbered sequentially, from "ground floor" usually printed in elevators, upwards. In some countries, the number 13 is considered unlucky. Building owners will sometimes purposely omit the thirteenth floor. Even landlords who are not themselves superstitious realize that suites on the 13th floor might be compromised because of superstitious tenants. Sometimes business tenants might be afraid their own customers might be superstitious.

The media has promoted the superstition with science fiction and fantasy TV dramas focusing on the 13th floor as having supernatural powers. Magazine articles have emphasized how certain rooms are haunted, all to bring in business. People want to stay in historic rooms to see or hear the ghost. And sometimes a haunted building has nothing to do with a room 13 on the 13th floor on Friday the 13th.

In other countries, 13 is a lucky number, if one is superstitious. See Italian American Superstitions | Italy. In Italian folklore, 13 is lucky, especially in gambling. According to the article at this website, "The number 17 is considered unlucky for at least two reasons, both having to do with how it is written. When 17 is written using Roman numerals XVII, it can be rearranged to spell the Roman word VIXI meaning "I have lived" and was found on ancient tombstones. When written using Arabic numerals 17 are still considered unlucky since it resembles a man hanging from a gallows."

How the media reports the number 13 includes, in sports reporting (according to the Wikipedia site) that there are 13 players in a rugby league team. In rugby union one of the centres, most often but not always the outside centre, wears the 13 shirt. Basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain wore number 13. Three NBA teams, plus the Harlem Globetrotters, have retired his number. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino wore number 13 for the Miami Dolphins, who retired his number in 2000. New York Jets wide receiver Don Maynard wore number 13 for the New York Jets, who retired his number in 1972. In Formula One, no driver has had the number 13 on his car since 1976.

In media, you could check out the site of Sacramento CBS 13. Another skyscraper in San Francisco that doesn't have a 13th floor is the Grand Hyatt San Francisco - Union Square - San Francisco, CA. If you're looking for news stories today on how the media keeps publicizing Friday the 13th superstitions, check out News for friday the 13th superstitions. The superstitions date back to ancient Roman times.

If you fear Friday the 13th, blame the media for spreading the superstitions. The fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. Sometimes holiday superstitions can really become ingrained as a phobia. But who educates people to fear Friday the 13th or the number, 13? It's the media. The superstition spreads through repeated news articles that get discussed by parents in front of kids.

The fear started in ancient Rome where witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil. The number 12 is found in the Bible (New Testament). There were 12 apostles plus Jesus, equals 13. And in Chinese taboo superstition numerology 1 plus 3 equals 4, and 4 is the square of death. Four is a taboo number to be avoided. The triangle in Christianity represents the trinity. And a double triangle, the hexagon, number 6, represents the two triangles that make up the star of David, so that 3 represents one-half of the star of David. A pomegranate's 'star' or 'crown' on top represents the hexagon.

See the August 13, 2010 National Geographic Daily News article by John Roach, Friday the 13th Superstitions Rooted in Bible and More. You have the number 12 mentioned many times throughout history such as the 12 signs of the zodiac, the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 months of the year, the 12 gods of Olympus in Greek mythology, the 12 labors of Hercules, the 12 apostles of Jesus, and the 12 days of Christmas, which is the time between Christmas and Epiphany. And in Jewish lore, the number twelve, represents the product of three and four. Jewish lore links the symbol to the "Seal of Solomon", the magical signet.

The number twelve as the product of three and four, in Jewish lore typified the union of the people with God. On the table were twelve loaves of show-bread, and the breastplate of the priest contained twelve precious stones as emblems of the twelve tribes of Israel, which camped round about the Sanctuary. But what about the number 13 in Jewish lore? The number thirteen symbolizes the principles of faith and God's mercy.

Did you ever see the mainstream media touting the number 13 as symbolizing God's mercy? No, you'll see local and national media coming out with stories of superstition to get noticed by disturbing the serenity of the number and of the readers. That's the media's purpose, to shake you awake to the news, however it brings attention. Will the news go to extremes to get attention (and sell more advertising)?

If you want to exceed 12 by 1, it has nothing to do with bad luck. Instead, it has to do more with being incomplete. The superstition leaves you feeling as if you're not completed or perhaps over-completed, as if you need one less number. It's a disturbing thought related to the compulsion to scrape away the one and be back to the complete number 12 again, which is twice 6 and a multiple of 3. The media leaves you restless about the number 13 which is rooted in ancient superstitions.

You want to be a 12, perhaps because 12 in numerology adds up to 1 plus 2 equal 3. And 3 is a favorable number. It's the grand trine of good luck in astrology. It's the Shamrock 3-leaf cluster. Three times four equals twelve. Three has a lot of religious significance in a variety of religions. Twice three equals six. And the numbers 3, 6, and 12 take away that restless feeling. But the media is telling you, be aware of the history and at the same time, it's all in your head and perhaps your heritage.

Looking for more numbers? The number 26 symbolizes God's name in Jewish lore. What's one-half of the number 26? It's 13. The media often goes to news extremes to capture attention because attention inspires advertising.

Want to know more how the media touts Friday the 13th? See, Friday the 13th Comic Books, Creepier Than Friday The 13th Superstitions: Dr Laura Schlessinger, and News for friday the 13 in the media.