13

[peeny]

why is thirteen seen as an unlucky answer, and why friday the thirteenth particularly?

[Ewood27]

There's a page on this very subject at http://www.uselessknowledge.com/explain/friday13.s
html which answers it much better thab I could.

[andy hughes]

The most common superstition concerning Friday 13 in Western culture is that Friday was the day that Christ was betrayed a crucified by Judas, the thirteenth diciple, and that as a parody of the Last Supper, a witches' coven should contain thirteen members.

[lime-green]

I am unsure why 13 is unlucky, but Friday the 13th does not occur very often, and therefore is considered unlucky.

[incitatus]

Yep its to do with the disciple thing. Or at least thats a good story: Judas was the 12th disciple, but when they were all at table with the lad himself that made 13...with hilarious consequences as they say in sitcoms. Thats why you never sit 13 at a table....

[osiris]

it was supposed to have been the day that the Leaders of the French 'Order of the Knights Templar' were burnt at the stake.Not sure what century tho'

[Aquinas]

Re Templars. They were arrested on Friday 13th October 1307 this is suposed to be the origin of the unluck combination. But but both friday and 13 had been unlucky for some time.