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Have you ever wondered why you always look at the clock at a certain time? Are you extra-cautious outside on Friday the 13th? Is there some number you always take as a good omen?

Over the course of hundreds of years, many people from all parts of the world have studied the significance of numbers, and have consequently assigned meaning to them—some good, some bad, and some seemingly redundantly. Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher and mathematician, went so far as to believe that numbers had souls and created the basis of the entire universe. In contemporary times, especially with the introduction of numerology, numbers still bear special meanings and associations across different cultures. Click through to check them out.

▲The Pythagoreans actually didn't consider one a number because "number" means plurality. One is generally treated as a symbol of unity and the origin of all things, since all other numbers can be created by adding enough ones.

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This widely recognized unlucky number is especially bad when it falls on a Friday, and many believe it gets a bad rap purely from not being as perfect as 12. Others believe it has to do with the 13th guest at the Last Supper, Judas.

▲Some Italians are superstitious about 17 because the Roman numeral XVII can also create the word "VIXI," which in Latin means “I lived” or "my life is over"—a phrase that is commonly written on tombstones. Italians consequently skip 17 on things like flights and in buildings.

▲The number four is quite lucky in Western societies because of how embedded it is in nature: the four elements, the four seasons, the four points of the compass, the four phases of the Moon. A small symbol of the number's luck is embedded in four-leaf clovers.

▲In China, however, the pronunciation of the word for this number is similar to the word for death. Consequently, many people refuse to use the number four in prices, house numbers, phone numbers, or floors on buildings.

▲In China, the number eight is thought to bring luck because its pronunciation is similar to wealth or prosperity. In these cultures, you are likely to see more price tags with amounts that end with $0.98 rather than $0.99, and the significance is so strong that the Beijing Olympic Games started on 8/8/2008 at 8:08:08.

▲For some reason, most people pick this number when given a choice out of 10. It holds sacred value around the world: in the Old Testament, the world was created in six days and God rested on the seventh; in Hinduism, there are seven higher worlds and seven underworlds; in Buddhism the newborn Buddha rises and takes seven steps; and in Islam there are seven heavens as well.

▲People have developed a genuine fear of what is considered the devil's number. It stems from the Bible's apocalyptic Book of Revelation, as John the Apostle refers to 666 as "the number of the beast."

▲Conversely, 6 is a lucky number in China, where the word sounds like the word for smooth or flowing. Some people even pay extra to have the number 666, three times the luck, included in their license plate or phone number.

▲This mystical number is featured in many folktales (three wishes, three little pigs, etc.) and common sayings in places like North America and Sweden include "third time's the charm," and "all good things come in threes," which could stem from Christianity's Holy Trinity.

▲The number nine is often avoided in Japan because the pronunciation sounds similar to the Japanese word for torture or suffering.

▲The “curse of the ninth” is a superstition in classical music which posits that composers will be fated to die during or after the creation of their ninth symphony. It began with Gustav Mahler, who died with his tenth incomplete, and it famously includes Ludwig van Beethoven.

▲In India, despite celebrating Republic Day on the 26th, the number is considered a bad omen after too many tragic events occurred on that date, including an earthquake, tsunami, and terrorist attacks. Numerologists and astrologers claim 26 itself is an unlucky number.

▲Two often symbolizes duality: me/you, alive/dead, yin/yang, etc. In Agrippa von Nettesheim’s 1533 "On the Philosophy of the Occult,” the number two is also the symbol for man, sex, and evil.

▲In Afghanistan, many consider the number 39 to be bad luck as the word for it is also a slang term for a pimp. Some pay good money to have a license plate without that number.

▲In Islam, the number five holds sacred value, as there are five Pillars of Islam, prayers are said five times every day, there are five categories of Islamic law, and five law-giving prophets.

▲Some numerologists and New Age philosophies also believe that events linked to the time 11:11 are an example of synchronicity, with some claiming it signals a spirit presence. Others believe this time opens a portal between two worlds—the 3rd and 5th dimensions.

▲Some say the luckiness of 12 comes from it being so nicely divisible, others say it's because of the number of apostles. The number is an aspect of many parts of life, from the inches in a foot, to the months in a year, to the two cycles of the day.

▲Vladimir Grashnov died of cancer potentially from radioactive poisoning, Konstantin Dimitrov was assassinated while on a date, and Konstantin Dishliev was shot during lunch. What did these Bulgarians have in common? A cursed phone number.

▲The 27 Club is a morbid collection of popular musicians, artists, or actors who died at age 27. Although the claim of a "statistical spike" for death at that age has been repeatedly disproved, it remains a cultural phenomenon. Some members include Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse.

▲The “23 Enigma” is a belief that the number has some sort of magical or mystical significance, because of all the instances in which it occurs, i.e. the years in which Kurt Cobain was born and died both individually add up to 23. William S. Burroughs is credited with beginning of this fascination.

▲The age 63 is seen by some numerologists as unlucky. Not to worry, however, because if you happen to live past 63, you can apparently expect to live a long and lucky life.

▲Besides the fact that 4 x 11 = 44, "four eleven forty-four" became well-known through popular blues and jazz music after reportedly being lucky numbers chosen often by poor African Americans for the purpose of gambling in the 19th and early 20th century.

▲According to New Age/metaphysical philosophies, when you repeatedly see certain numbers, they're actually signaling your ancient DNA, cellular memory, and higher consciousness to awaken to a specific spiritual phase or space in your life.

▲Eleven is one such Master Number, deemed the most intuitive of all numbers. It is supposed to represent illumination, accessing a channel to the subconscious.

▲This Master Number is said to be potentially the most successful of all numbers in numerology. It's often called the Master Builder, and can turn the most ambitious of dreams into reality.

▲Thirty-three is considered the Master Teacher and the most spiritually evolved number, as it's made from both 11 and 22 together, and is said to hold blessings.

▲Besides being the stuff of dreams for Las Vegas gamblers, 777 holds a spiritual value in numerology, helping you access a more spiritually conscious way of thinking and being.

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In South Asian cultures, it's considered good luck to give $101, for example, instead of $100 as gifts. By making the amount indivisible, it's believed that the blessings remain indivisible as well.

Fascinating meanings of numbers around the world

Are you superstitious, or just a little-stitious?

17/09/19 por StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Curiosity

Have you ever wondered why you always look at the clock at a certain time? Are you extra-cautious outside on Friday the 13th? Is there some number you always take as a good omen?