2013 is bad news for triskaidekaphobics
The apocalypse has passed and we can all breathe easy this year.
But wait, say fear mongers and triskaidekaphobia sufferers — how can 2013 bring relief when it ends in such a terrifying number?
There's no solid evidence that an irrational fear of the number 13 will lead to any ill effects this year, but we may as well start speculating now. Those who have inherited their elders' superstitions might be clinging a bit harder to their lucky rabbit's foot.
Better turn your clothes inside out and start spinning around in circles to throw off the bad luck spell.
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The Irish government has noticed the unlucky number and it's taken precautions against superstitious consumers. License plate registration numbers in Ireland generally end with the last two numbers of the year in which they are registered.
However, the government has changed the system this year due to worries that car sales would drop if registration numbers ended in 13, according to the Irish Independent. The government has added one to the number, meaning cars registered in the first half of the year will have '131' on the plates and cars registered in the latter half will say '132'.
Wired magazine has also provided less worrisome but still interesting facts about the numbers in this calendar year. For example, 2013 is the first year since 1987 that contains four different digits.
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It's also the first time in nearly 600 years that the year contains four sequential digits when rearranged, the numbers '0123'. Surely there's a bad omen in there somewhere, too.
Perhaps this year will mark fewer weddings and babies than the last. Then again, maybe everyone will rebuke superstition and flock to the altar like they did on 12/12/12.