The Significance of Numbers

What is your lucky number ?

Don't say you don't have one, or don't think about one. Many persons have more than one that they consider lucky or unlucky. These numbers vary from person to person for a variety of reasons.

In China, it is no different and some of these reasons might amuse or surprise you.

For us in the West, the number 13 is very unlucky. We wouldn't think of buying a number 13 ticket, and most hotels do not have a 13th floor, and Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day.

In China, however, 13 is considered very auspicious, and in some provinces, they wouldn't consider numbering a floor 4 or 14. You see, the number 4 has a similar pronunciation to death (Scee), so the former Number Four hospital in Beijing had to change its name, as very few patients patronised it. Who would want to go to a hospital by that name?

The numbers 6, 8, and 9 are considered lucky, as their names sound similar to words that have positive meanings. For example, six in Mandarin is hu, similar to fluid or smooth, so it's good for business. Nine - jiu - is pronounced similar to long life. Eight is pronounced fa in Cantonese, that is similar to the word that means prosperity or money.

Eight - the most auspicious NUMBER of all

In the southern region (the origin of most migrants), in the Hakka dialect it means flowers, that's why it is considered the most auspicious number of all.

It is, therefore, no wonder and certainly no coincidence that the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 took place at 8 o'clock on the 8th of the eighth month. And the unqualified success of the opening ceremony and games was due in no small measure to that fact.

Phone numbers and vehicle numbers which have more than one of the number 8, singly or in multiple renditions, for example, 8 ,16, 32, 168, sell for large sums of money and persons will do all in their power to acquire these. And you would avoid the number 24, even though it is three times 8, for two reasons. Four is unlucky, and 24 is 8 multiplied by 3, an uneven number. Even numbers are considered luckier than uneven numbers. The way the character for a number is written sometimes resembles another word, and that can render it unlucky or lucky.

no unlucky number

Interestingly enough, in traditional Chinese numerology, there was no unlucky number. Ancient people used numbers that were connected to their birth to help to know what would happen to a person in the future. So couples getting married would use their birth dates to determine how their union would turn out; whether it was a good match, and to calculate what would be a good date and time of day for the wedding to take place. This is done even today. They also related numbers to the elements water, earth, fire, wood, gold. So, naturally, one would favour the number for gold, number 9.

Numbers also play an interesting role in various folklore practices. For example, when a young lady first visits the family of her boyfriend, his mother would give her a red envelope with 1001 or 10001 yuan, to signify that she is one in a thousand, or one in 10 thousand. This signifies also her approval, and she will keep this and not spend it.

There is no doubt that numbers have always played a great part in people's lives, and people will always attach significance to a particular number for one reason or another.

You will recall that numbers were also important to the people of ancient biblical days. The number seven is mentioned nearly 400 times in the scriptures, in a host of different circumstances.

And if you buy 'drop-pan', the numbers game, you will probably have what you think is a lucky number, or you will depend on the rake. But know that it does not, or very rarely ever work, but it's just part of the superstitions we hold.