The number 11 aside, there is this belief in numerology in which 12 is considered the number of completeness: a year has 12 months, a day has 12 hours, there are 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 gods of Olympus, and Jesus Christ had 12 disciples.
There also was the myth about 13 people not sitting together for supper as it would result in one of them answering St Peter's roll call.
The Nazarene joined his disciples at the Last Supper as the 13th diner... and He was sacrificed (read crucified) on a Friday, which is celebrated by Christians as Good Friday.
Other unconfirmed occurrences that made this day the odd one include Eve convincing -- no, confusing -- Adam to a helping of the forbidden fruit, on a Friday; Noah and his family boarding the Ark to escape involuntary swimming during the Great Floods, on a Friday; the Tower of Babel collapsing when the builders spoke in tongues, on a Friday.
In many cultures around the world, any Friday that lands on the 13th of the month is considered unlucky.
Constructors dispense with the 13th floor despite the 14th being, in real sense, the 13th floor. And most airlines don't have the 13th row.
So widespread is this superstition that scientists have given fear of this date a name --Triskaidekaphobia!
French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte suffered from it and would never allow a table with 13 guests.
But one person who has no such fear is Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo, who had undying faith in Number 13 as St Anthony's Day fell on June 13, the day he married his wife, a devotee of St Anthony.
Zagallo believed Brazil would win the 2006 Germany World Cup because the then coach Carlos Alberto's names had 13 letters and Brazil's first match against Croatia was on June 13. Italy won.
The now 79-year-old lives on the 13th floor of an apartment block, won 13 World Cup matches and said he aided his recovery from a stomach cancer operation by visiting St Anthony's shrine 13 times.
The Chinese and the Japanese, on the other digit, have a superstitious fear of Number Four.
Most buildings in those countries don't have a fourth floor. Reason? The sound for the word death in their languages sound like number four.
So widespread is the fear that there are more heart attacks reported on the fourth of any month than any other date.
