When was the last time you got in an elevator and went to push the button for the floor that you wanted and you saw a 13^th floor button?

I can’t remember the last time I saw such a thing.  Whether it be in a hotel, office building or residential complex, I can’t remember seeing a 13^th floor button in an elevator.

Well, guess what happened to me recently?  I was staying in a hotel in Panama City Panama and my hotel room was 1309.

When I went in the elevator to go to my room, I could not believe it, but there was a button that read “13”.  Holy cow!

And it was just like the buttons for the other floors.  Round, light background, with dark numerals 13 on it.  seemed to be just like the rest of the buttons.  But, wait, this is the 13^th floor!

How can this be?  No one has a 13^th floor, much less a button in the elevator that says 13 on it.  No one.

Obviously, I am wrong.  Sure enough, the hotel I was staying at does have a 13^th floor and a button in the elevator that says 13.

Did I mention that this is a hotel in the Hilton family of hotels.

Aren’t they aware of the superstitions surrounding a 13^th floor?

The phenomenon of triskaidekaphobia is the fear or avoidance of the number 13.  The word comes from Ancient Greek word treiskaídeka which is ‘thirteen’, and the Ancient Greek word phóbos which is ‘fear’.  You may recall that I took four years of classical Greek in high school.  Every once in awhile it comes in handy.

Where do the superstitions surrounding a 13^th floor come from?

Some from the Bible. The Last Supper had 13 individuals seated around the table.  Some say that the 13^th was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.  With that, 13 became synonymous with misfortune and treachery.

In addition, according to Norse mythology there was a special dinner with 12 invited Gods, but a 13^th uninvited God, the God of Mischief, showed up and chaos ensued, resulting in the death of a beloved God.

For years, especially in western cultures, buildings, particularly hotels, have been designed by architects and without hesitation they did not include a 13^th floor, or a 13^th button in the elevator.

But, based upon my recent experience, the tradition of not having a 13^th floor or a 13^th floor button in the elevator of your hotel or other building may be slowly changing.

It turns out, based upon some research, that there are some countries that do not view 13 with suspicion.  In fact, China sees the number 13 as a lucky number.  So does Italy.  Where else I am not sure.

In fact, there is a rise in triskaidekaphilia which is the love of the number 13.  This is where individuals and organizations are deliberately seeking out the number 13 to challenge the stigma attached to it.

For example, there are several star athletes that wear or have worn the number 13 on their jerseys, including Wilt Chamberlain, Alex Rodriguez, and Dan Marino to name a few.

This pushback on the number 13 always being a negative has begun to extend to some architects, hotels and other establishments – in some cases flaunting their 13^th floor. Some say that this is an expression of rationality in this world that we live in, a shift away from age-old superstitions.  Some say that it is an appeal to a younger, more hip generation.

Where this issue of the number 13 will end up I am not sure, but it appears to be moving in one direction now.  How fast it moves in that direction we will see.

I, for one, am not bothered by staying on the 13^th floor of a hotel, nor am I bothered by pushing the button 13 on the elevator.  However, it is true that I was shocked when I did so.  It woke me up to the issue of the number 13, where the superstition came from, and where it appears to be heading.

The number 13.