WHITE LOTUS IN FIRE

Welcome to the heart of Asia. Today I decided to write about the most common and unusual Chinese superstitions. During my research I noticed that the Chinese pay a lot of attention to colors and numbers; therefore, I have chosen the most interesting ones.

The importance of colors  

• ·       Red is the color of blood or life and will bring happiness, wealth, fame, and good luck. Because of this belief, red cloth or paper is always used during the funeral to cover statues of deities.
•         White is the color of mother's milk. It symbolizes moderation, purity, honesty and life and balances red and black. This color is also used in funerals. According to the tradition, white cloth must be hung across the doorway of the house.
•         Black is the color of feces and is associated with evil, disaster and bad fortune. Wearing black, blue or gray will bring bad luck to the marriage.
•         Wedding clothes should be red, yellow and/or white.

Lucky and unlucky numbers

•         The luckiest number is eight because it also means "prosper".
•       The unluckiest number is four as it sounds like the Chinese word for death. The number 44 is considered to be the worst one as it means you are sure that you will die soon.
•       Seven can also signify death.
•       The number one means loneliness. That’s why Chinese boys never give 1 flower to their significant others.
•       The number "9" is good, because nine in Cantonese sounds like the word "sufficient".
•       The number of steps in a staircase, the same as flowers in a bouquet, should be even-numbered.

As you can see colors and numbers are very symbolic in China. It is very important to remember these small details as you can be kicked out of the wedding ceremony because of your blue shirt or dress, or get a slap because of one odd rose.

Stay bright and happy. See you next week :)