Are you feeling lucky?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The power of numerical superstitions across the world influences people more than they care to admit, including this one foible present in nearly every New York City high-rise, according to a new study.<\/p>\n
NYC developers<\/a> skip \u201cunlucky\u201d floor number 13 in 91% of all high-rise buildings<\/a>, according to a report from online casino McLuck.<\/p>\n In New York City, 91% of high-rises higher than 13 floors omit the unlucky number as a labeled floor. Christopher Sadowski<\/p>\n Buildings jump straight from floor 12 to 14. Others will rename the floor \u201c12A\u201d, or repurpose it in order to avoid being cursed.<\/p>\n Apartments that do carry the number 13 sell less often than equivalent units in the same building, the study claimed. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to write this off as old superstition, but it\u2019s still actively shaping how buildings get numbered today. . . . That\u2019s what makes it such a fascinating study in how deep-rooted these beliefs really are,\u201d said a McLuck spokesperson.<\/p>\n In Western culture, 13 has become unlucky largely because of Judas Iscariot, the 13th guest at the Last Supper who betrayed Jesus to Romans, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica<\/a>. <\/p>\n Estimates suggest that US businesses<\/a> lose over $800 million of potential income every Friday the 13th, as Americans reduce travel and other large expenses for the day, History.com<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n Enough people are superstitious that omitting certain numbers becomes a business decision. <\/p>\n Airlines like Lufthansa (Germany), Air France (France), and United Airlines (USA) skip the 13th row on their flights. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n Airlines like Germany\u2019s Lufthansa, France\u2019s Air France, and United Airlines all skip the 13th row on their flights entirely.<\/p>\n In East Asian culture, the number four spells doom due to its similarity to the Chinese word for \u2018death.\u2019 <\/p>\n That number is often removed from hospital rooms and apartments.<\/p>\n A study in Chengdu found that apartments on floors ending with an eight rake in 235 Yuan more per square meter ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n The number four has even been erased from most license plates in the country. Plates with the number four make up just 1-3% of all cars in China, according to a Bloomberg Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Eight, however, is considered lucky because it sounds similar to the Chinese word \u2018to prosper.\u2019<\/p>\n This superstition has even affected housing prices.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n