Why Is There No 14th Floor?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Floors 4, 13 and 14 are

missing

, because of the similarity between the pronunciation of the word “four” and “death” in Chinese.

Why is there no 13th floor?

Ever wonder why you’ve never stayed in a hotel room on the

13th floor

? The answer is simple: The

floor

doesn’t exist. It all comes down to triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the

number

13.

Why do hotels not have a 14th floor?

Some hotels skip the number 13 and go straight to 14 when numbering floors. … It is because of

the disorder triskaidekaphobia

and a general dislike of or superstition regarding the number 13.

Is 14th floor unlucky?

The practice of avoiding instances of number 4 is called Tetraphobia. In the Chinese culture,

14 is considered more unlucky than the individual 4

, since 14 sounds like “will certainly die (實死)” in both Putunghua and Cantonese. Some buildings in Asia simply numbering it as “15” or “12B” or even “13A”.

Does the Empire State Building have a 13th floor?

With that said, some of NYC’s most famous buildings do have 13th floors.

The Empire State Building has one

. … Both the Plaza and the Waldorf Astoria have labeled 13th floors.

Is house No 13 unlucky?

Although superstition dictates that Friday the 13th, and

even the number 13, can be unlucky for some

, for property buyers there might be value in such superstition. According to data released from property website Daft.ie, homes at number 13 are typically €4,335 cheaper than the average Irish property.

Should I buy 13th floor flat?

These days 13

th

floor is as easy to market as any other floor. “Young buyers are enquiring about available floors and are not averted from buying into this specific floor.” “The number 13 is considered ominous in the Western culture. According to Indian traditions,

the number 13 is actually auspicious

.

Why do they keep Bibles in hotel rooms?

Gideons International, a missionary arm of the church, were the ones who initiated the practice, and who carry it on to this day. The group was formed by three Christian businessmen in 1899, who decided that placing bibles in hotel rooms – where they spent a lot of time –

would help to spread their message

.

Why are there no overhead lights in hotels?

No ceiling light or fan means

lower ceilings

, which means more floors (and therefore rooms) per vertical unit length. Marking out where the lights will go in each room would also make room layout (both where the rooms go in a floor and where the furniture goes in a room) less flexible.

Is 13th floor unlucky in India?

In India, many people avoid buying a house with number 13 or on the 13th floor. … Even though

there is no such validation for number 13 being unlucky

in the Indian context, especially with festivals like Lohri and Baisakhi being celebrated on the thirteenth day of the month across North India.

Is 14 lucky or unlucky?

Number 14 is

considered to be the worst number among all the unlucky numbers

. The ‘1’ in the number 14 does not represent loneliness; instead it means ‘guaranteed’. Therefore, the number would interpret ‘guaranteed death’.

Why is there no 4th floor in Korea?

It is because pronouncing the number 4 in

Korean sounds the same as pronouncing the ideogram for death “SA”

(사, 死). For this reason, they preferred to avoid it so that people that are heading to the 4th floor won’t compare it as heading to death.

Is 17 an unlucky number?

In Italian culture,

the number 17 is considered unlucky

. When viewed as the Roman numeral, XVII, it is then changed anagrammatically to VIXI, which in the Latin language translates to “I lived”, the perfect implying “My life is over.” (c.f. “Vixerunt”, Cicero’s famous announcement of an execution.)

How do tall buildings not fall over?

But builders have to be sure that

super-strong winds

don’t topple a skyscraper. So the concrete that’s used to make these tall buildings is strengthened with steel rods and beams. … It stops the tall building from swaying too much, helping the structure withstand heavy winds.

What buildings do not have a 13th floor?

The first skyscraper —

the Home Insurance Building

, constructed in Chicago in 1885 — was built as the regional headquarters for an insurance company and did not have a 13th floor. Lest you think the superstition has died down since then, consider this.

How many hotels do not have a 13th floor?

was quoted as saying, “It was one of the first things I learned: Don’t go to 13.” In fact, the Otis Elevators company estimates that

85% of

the buildings with their elevators don’t have a named 13th floor. Of course, not all hotels skip the 13th floor.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.