Friday the 13th causes many to rethink opening an umbrella inside or walking under a ladder, but for some it feels more dire and can even be diagnosed as a phobia. Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13. The name for the fear was established in 1911 when it became prevalent enough. The term comes from combining two Greek words triskaideka- meaning “thirteen”, then dropping the e and adding phobia which means the “fear of”.  It has become prevalent that a multitude of people were not aware that there was an actual phobia of the number 13 and it is not just a superstition like Courtney Dawson 25’.

“I had no idea that it was an actual fear. I just assumed it was a superstition,” Dawson said.

Triskaidekaphobia is currently seen as more of a superstition and not so much as a phobia. Folklore historians estimate that around 17-21 million suffer from triskaidekaphobia. Those who have this fear believe that anything associated with the number 13 is unlucky and will attempt to avoid this number at all costs. For example, they might not book a flight on the 13th day of a month or may refuse to partake in activities that involve the number 13. Some with more severe cases might even opt out of going to work on the 13th. Similar to other phobias, those who suffer with triskaidekaphobia tend to get severe anxiety around anything involving this number and this can affect their everyday lives if it is severe. 

Although triskaidekaphobia might seem that it is just mentally challenging, there are potential physical side effects which include dry mouth, chest pain, shortness of breath, confusion, etc. Causes of triskaidekaphobia include traumatic events, parental anxieties, and the most common, associating the number 13 with bad luck. 

 It is not only those with Triskaidekaphobia that the number 13 affects. National Geographic claims that over 80% of buildings will avoid having a 13th floor. Architects for hospitals also tend to avoid having a 13th floor if possible. They will either skip from 12 to 14 or have a 12A and 12B floor. This is mostly due to economic reasons, since most guests stated that they tend to feel uneasy on the 13th floor and would prefer to not be located there. The same goes for hotels, as they are also known to opt out of having a 13th floor due to these widely known superstitions. Designers might make the 13th floor a storage, utility or electrical unit in order to use the space as efficiently as possible. Although this superstition may cause others to think twice, this has never been a problem for Emily Graham ‘25.

“I get why they do that for most people but for me it wouldn’t freak me out staying on the 13th floor since I grew up loving Alex Morgan, I was number 13 in soccer so it was always one of my lucky numbers, but I can see why most people would not want to stay on the 13th floor,” Graham said.

Those opposed to this claim that misnumbering the floors in high-rise buildings could confuse firefighters or first respondents if anything unfortunate were to happen. Currently this has only led to Vancouver banning leaving out floor numbers.

There is controversy about where triskaidekaphobia first originated from. Some believe it originated in the 1890’s when the disciple who later betrayed Jesus, Judas, was the 13th seated. However, although the Bible does state that 13 Apostles had sat down, the Bible does not state the order in which they sat down. So to this day the origins of this superstition is unclear. Sarah Fuhry ‘25 has her own thoughts of where this superstition may have originated. 

“Probably that it became so recognized and popular that some people started to think it was real,” Fuhry said. 

One way to make Friday the 13th even more daunting is when it falls in October. However, the last Friday the 13th that happened in October was 2017, and there will not be another one until 2028. Those who have triskaidekaphobia likely also have paraskevidekatriaphobia, also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia, the fear of specifically Friday the 13th. 

Friday the 13th occurs one to three times a year and brings with it profound superstition to all. This year it happens to fall in September and the next one will not be until December.