Lucky Numbers — The Numbers Beloved of East and West
Each of us has a number we favor, and every culture has different numbers of luck and misfortune. Numbers are more than mere tools for counting; they are special symbols that have carried meaning and belief across the ages.
The Symbolism Carried in Numbers
People have long assigned meaning to numbers. One symbolizes beginning and singularity, two a pair and harmony, three completion and stability, and so on. Such numerical symbolism has seeped into religion, myth, and tradition to become part of culture. That numerology reads a person's destiny through numbers, too, lies along the extension of these age-old beliefs.
Lucky and Unlucky Numbers of the East
In the East, the sound and meaning of a number determine its luck. In the Chinese-speaking world especially, 8 is deemed the most auspicious number because it sounds like 'to grow wealthy (發),' and 9 signifies eternity through its kinship with 'to last long (久).' Three is a good number meaning life and stability. Conversely, 4 sounds the same as 'death (死),' so strong is the culture of avoiding it that some buildings mark the fourth floor as 'F.'
Lucky and Unlucky Numbers of the West
The most beloved lucky number in the West is 7. Symbolizing completeness and mystery — seven days of the week, seven colors of the rainbow — it has long been regarded as auspicious. Conversely, 13 is shunned as a number of misfortune, and many hotels and buildings do without a thirteenth floor. This is a belief arising from various traditions, such as the thirteenth figure at the Last Supper.
Finding Your Own Lucky Number
Beyond the numbers that culture has decreed, each person has a lucky number all their own. The life path number of numerology, obtained by reducing your birth date; a number from a day when good things happened; a number that draws your heart — all can become your own lucky number. What matters is that the number gives you a positive spirit and confidence.
The Wisdom of Enjoying Numbers
A lucky number is not a fixed fate but a symbol that steadies the heart and adds delight. Keep a favored number close and it lifts your mood in itself, and that positive spirit can sometimes summon a good flow. Rather than binding yourself too tightly to unlucky numbers, the easygoing attitude of enjoying the cultural stories carried in numbers is best of all.
Lucky numbers are a delightful symbol shaped together by culture and the heart. If you're curious about your lucky number that changes each day from your birth date and today's date, check it below for yourself.