Friday the 13th is upon us! Across the nation, there are people avoiding black cats, spilled salt, ladders, and broken mirrors. Not everyone, however, is scared of 13 because they have other numbers to fear.
In honor of today, here
are 6 unlucky numbers from around the world.
4 - China
In China, the number
4 is considered unlucky because it is homophonous
to the word "death." Similar to how the 13th floor is
absent in many buildings in the West, the 4th floor is often left
out in China.
9 - Japan
Just like the number
4 in China, the number 9 is a bad omen in Japan because it sounds similar
to the Japanese word for “torture.”
17 - Italy
The Roman numeral for 17 is XVII, and an anagram for XVII is "VIXI.” This translates to “I lived," aka “my life is over."
26 - India
For India, tragedies and
disasters have the pattern of striking on the 26th (the 2008
Mumbai terror attack, the 2001
Gujarat earthquake, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2008 Ahmedabad bomb
blasts). For this reason, India doesn't really like the number 26. Can you
blame them?
39 - Afghanistan
The number 39 is considered
cursed in Afghanistan due to the fact that 39 translates to ‘morda
gow’ which means ‘dead cow” - which is slang for pimp. Since 39 is linked to prostitution, the number is largely avoided.
0888 888 888 - Bulgaria
After three people in Bulgaria with the phone number 0888 888 888 died within ten years, a Bulgarian mobile company suspended the phone number because they believed it was cursed. If you are in Bulgaria, try calling the number. Surely, no one will pick up.
0888 888 888 - Bulgaria
After three people in Bulgaria with the phone number 0888 888 888 died within ten years, a Bulgarian mobile company suspended the phone number because they believed it was cursed. If you are in Bulgaria, try calling the number. Surely, no one will pick up.
If we missed any unlucky numbers in your culture, be sure to comment below. Also, be sure to check out past blog posts about Friday the 13th.
1. 13 Facts about the Number 13
2. Friday The 13th, Math and Music.
1. 13 Facts about the Number 13
2. Friday The 13th, Math and Music.
Sources:
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