Numbers superstitions

In many cultures the superstitions are part of the everyday life. The superstitions are so different from culture to culture that is impossible to compare them all. Commonly there are two types of superstitions: negative and positive. Most superstitions are negative, being based on the idea that some things can brink bad luck or misfortunes. The superstitions date back from ancient times when the level of common knowledge was low and the individuals needed some sort of justifications for events that could not be explained at that time.

Although superstitions appeared so long ago, the need that individuals have for this kind of justifications kept them alive up to these days in different cultures. A special category of superstitions is the one related to numbers and gambling.

The number 13 is considered unlucky all around the world. In some cultures the superstition related to this number is so strong that many buildings do not have a 13th floor. Napoleon had such a phobia for 13 that he would not sit at a table with another 12 guests. 13 is the number with the least bets in roulette so it’s clear that this number entered the list of unlucky numbers.

In Chinese culture the number 14 is considered maybe even more unlucky than 13. The reason for that is quite simple: the pronunciation of this number sounds similar to “accident” or “will die”. Taking that into consideration is easy to understand why in Chinese culture the phobia for 13 is surpassed only by the phobia for the number 14.

The list of lucky numbers includes 3, 7 and 8. In some circumstances the number 13 is also considered a luck number. The most fortunate number in western culture is 7 and the best proof is the lucky slots combination 777. On the other hand in Chinese culture the number 8 that means “fortune” and “prosperity”, so the more 8 you have around you, the better.