The Truth Behind 10 Common Superstitions

A number has the ability to strike terror into anybody, particularly if it's you ex's number flashing up on an incoming call. Oh, and the number 13, of course.

A person who is afraid of the number 13 is a triskaidekaphobe. Even those who aren't mortally afraid of a number will probably have heard that it is supposed to be unlucky. The superstition runs so deep that some buildings skip the 13th floor and some planes don't have a 13th row. It is even thought that there might have been a dip in the marriage rate in 2013 because people didn't want to get married in a year that had that cursed number in it (this is largely anecdotal, as the statistics have not yet been released for those years).

However, studies have shown that there is no data whatsoever to prove that the number 13 is less lucky than any other number (shock horror), so why are people so afraid of it?

It's thought to have its origins in Norse mythology when 12 gods were invited to dine together and Loki, the trickster god, rocked up, bringing the total number of guests up to 13 and all hell broke loose. There were also 13 guests at the Last Supper, the 13th person being Judas, the guy who betrayed Jesus.

Whoever started it, you can rest assured that it simply isn't true.