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Beliefs
Mandarin Project
Luck
in Chinese
Lucky Colour
Red is considered lucky in many aspects of Chinese culture, and this belief is
reflected by the colors inclusion in several customs. Red is often used for
traditional weddings to symbolize the happiness and joyous times to come for the
bride and groom. During Chinese New Year, some families hang red and gold
banners called hui chun. These decorations are meant to keep good luck within
the household, and show messages pertaining to good fortune.
Numerology
Numbers play a prominent role in Chinese beliefs about luck. Even numbers and
pairs are often considered lucky, and are associated with positive energy or "qi."
Exceptions occur when the word for a number sounds like something else. For
instance, the word for four sounds like the word for death and is therefore avoided,
whereas the word for the number three sounds a lot like the word for life and so is
considered good. Eight is considered among the luckiest of numbers, signifying
happiness and long life.With pronunciation of 'Ba' in Chinese, no. 8 sounds similar
to the word 'Fa', which means to make a fortune. It contains meanings of
prosperity, success and high social status too, so all businessmen favor it very
much.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo is a plant that symbolizes good
luck, and enhances positive feng shui attributes
within a household. Feng shui is a traditional
Chinese practice that involves structuring space to
achieve harmony with nature and positive energy
flow. Lucky bamboo is also used in combination
with other luck charms during Chinese New Year to
intensify wealth and strong beginnings.
Surprisingly, the plant is not a true bamboo species
and is native to Cameroon in West Africa. True
bamboo is revered in China for its rapid growth
and strength, which make it a natural symbol for
good luck
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion that has played a role in
influencing many of the good luck traditions of
China. However, the teachings of the Buddha
do not prescribe to the idea of good luck.
According to BuddhaNet, for Buddhists the key
to good fortune is realizing that it is honesty,
kindness, understanding, patience, forgiveness,
generosity, loyalty and other good qualities that
truly protect you and give you true prosperity.
Charms said to be blessed by monks may still
be considered a source of good luck in China,
despite the philosophy that they do not
necessarily impact one's fortunes.