What is your lucky number? Most people have one, some people have several. The Chinese have built a whole culture around them. Fortunes have been won and then lost again by trusting in them.
Lucky numbers seem to play a major part in our lives, whether we are superstitious by nature or not.
In general, we pick lucky numbers in a random way. We think of a special date, the number of the first house that we lived in, and even our shoe size. But whatever method we choose, almost all of us are believers in numbers and their luck – or lack of it.
The majority of us don’t even know how they came to choose their lucky number in the first place. They seem just to turn up becoming part of our personalities through some sort of mystical numerical osmosis.
What Is A Lucky Number?
Lucky numbers are believed to bring good fortune, positive energy, or favourable outcomes when they appear or are associated with certain events or situations.
The concept of lucky numbers varies across different cultures and traditions, but the underlying belief is that these numbers possess special qualities or symbolism that can influence one’s luck or destiny.
What Are The Main Lucky Numbers?
Number 7: In many cultures, the number 7 is considered highly fortunate. It is associated with spiritualism, intuition, and wisdom. In Christianity, the number 7 represents perfection and completion.
Number 8: In Chinese culture, the number 8 is regarded as extremely lucky because its pronunciation is similar to the Chinese word for wealth and prosperity. It is often associated with financial success and abundance.
Number 9: In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the number 9 is considered lucky as it sounds similar to the word for “long-lasting” or “eternity.” It is associated with longevity, spiritual enlightenment, and divine blessings.
Number 3: The number 3 is considered lucky in many cultures worldwide. It is often associated with creativity, harmony, and good fortune. In Christianity, it symbolizes the Holy Trinity.
Number 6: In Chinese culture, the number 6 is considered lucky because its pronunciation sounds like the Chinese word for “smooth” or “well-off.” It is associated with harmony, wealth, and auspicious events.
Number 5: The number 5 is often associated with good luck and positive change. In many cultures, it symbolizes balance, adventure, and freedom.
How To Find Your Lucky Number
Finding your lucky number is a subjective process, and different individuals may use various methods or beliefs to determine their lucky number.
Here are a few common approaches:
Birthdate:
Some people believe that their lucky number is derived from their birthdate. This can be done by adding up the digits of the birthdate and reducing it to a single digit.
For example, if your birthdate is January 15, 1990, you would add 1 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 0 = 26. Then, further reduce it to a single digit: 2 + 6 = 8.
So, in this case, 8 would be the lucky number.
Numerology:
Numerology is a belief system that assigns significance to numbers based on their vibrational energy.
It involves converting letters into numbers and calculating various combinations to determine personal lucky numbers.
Numerologists use formulas and calculations based on an individual’s name and birthdate to identify their lucky numbers.
Intuition:
Some people rely on their intuition or gut feeling to identify their lucky number.
They may have a number that consistently appears or feels significant to them in different aspects of their lives.
Trusting your instincts and personal connection with a specific number can be a valid way to determine your lucky number.
Cultural and Traditional Beliefs:
Depending on your cultural background, you may have specific lucky numbers associated with your culture or tradition.
For example, in Chinese culture, the number 8 is considered lucky, so individuals with Chinese heritage might choose 8 as their lucky number.
Personal Experiences:
Your lucky number can also be based on significant events or experiences in your life.
For instance, if you won a lottery using a specific number or had a positive outcome associated with a particular number, you might consider it your lucky number.
Remember that the concept of lucky numbers is subjective, and what may be lucky for one person may not hold the same significance for another.
Ultimately, finding your lucky number is a personal belief and can involve exploring different methods or relying on your intuition and personal experiences.
What Are The Considered To Be Unlucky Numbers?
Number 4: In some cultures, like Chinese and Japanese, the number 4 is considered unlucky due to its similarity in pronunciation to the word for “death.” Therefore, it is often avoided or associated with negative connotations.
Number 13: In Western cultures, the number 13 is often considered unlucky, leading to the development of triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13.
This superstition has roots in various historical and cultural influences, including religious beliefs and folklore.
The Number Seven
The number seven appears to be the most popular and universally held lucky number. It holds real significance in our world, popping up in terms and folklore all over the place.
We have the seven wonders of the world, seven deadly sins, seven virtues, seven seas, seven days of the week, seven colours of the rainbow, seven dwarfs – the list appears to be endless.
Perhaps the number seven’s importance is because almost every culture attaches religious significance to the number.
Buddhists believe in seven reincarnations, the Torah mentions that the Sabbatical, or holy year, occurred every 7 years, and the Israelites were told to march around the walls of Jericho seven times to bring the walls tumbling down.
In the New Testament, a disciple asked Jesus, “How many times should we forgive our brethren?” and Jesus replied, “seventy times seven “.
The ancient Greeks considered the number seven to be lucky, believing it to be the perfect number and the Arabs built and worshipped within the seven holy temples.
The Goths worshipped the seven deities, and even the Scottish Masons wore aprons that were made with seven tassels dangling from them.
And the list continues. The Japanese hold the number seven in high regard celebrating the seventh day after a baby’s birth and mourning the seventh day and seventh week following a death.
They even have their own comedy troop of seven lucky gods. There is the Shichi-fuku-jin, who are often portrayed riding around together on a treasure ship carrying all sorts of magical items, including an invisibility hat, rolls of magic brocade, an inexhaustible purse, keys to the divine treasure house, and a lucky rain hat.
Unlucky Number 7
Of course, not all cultures view the number seven as being quite as lucky as we do in the west. In China, the number seven is considered as a spirit or ghostly number, and the seventh month of the Chinese calendar is the ‘Ghost Month’.
During this time, the gates of hell are said to open to allow ghosts and spirits to visit the living realm.
Even so, the seventh day of the seventh month is Chinese Valentine’s Day, and in most Chinese regions, the number seven remains neutral or at least associated with good luck.
Lucky Chinese Numbers
Lucky numbers in China are based on Chinese words that sound similar to other Chinese words. The numbers six, eight, and nine are believed to have lucky or auspicious meanings because their names sound like Chinese words that have positive attributes.
The number eight is seen as particularly lucky as the Chinese word for eight sounds similar to the word which means ‘prosper’ or ‘wealth.
In some regional dialects, the words for “eight” and “fortune” are also similar. The number eight is viewed as so lucky by the Chinese that:
- A telephone number comprising of only eights was sold for over £200,000 in Chengdu, China.
- The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing began on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm local time.
- A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his license plate – A88888 – for around £150,000.
- Singapore Airlines reserves flight numbers beginning with the number eight to routes in China and Korea.
Of course, the number eight wasn’t so lucky for Nick Leeson when he set up a secret account with the number 88888 in an attempt to hide the loss of £827 million from his employers, Barings bank, in 1995.
Leeson served more than three years in a Singapore prison for forging documents and deceiving the bank’s auditors and the bank was brought down!
Unlucky 13
Just as some numbers are deemed lucky, others are seen as unlucky. The number thirteen is seen as unlucky in various cultures around the world.
One theory as to why this should be so is that these cultures use lunar-solar calendars with around 12.41 lunar cycles per solar year, giving 12 ‘true months’ plus a smaller, and often negatively viewed, portentous, thirteenth month.
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Number thirteen even has its own phobia – Triskaidekaphobia. Sufferers of triskaidekaphobia try to avoid bad luck by keeping away from anything numbered or labeled thirteen.
As a result of this fear, many companies and manufacturers use another way of numbering or labelling to avoid the number. Often hotels and tall buildings have no room thirteen and no thirteenth floor, and restaurants never seat thirteen guests at a single table.
Many of us dread Friday the 13th expecting the worse to happen. And certainly, there is some evidence to suggest that accident rates rise on this date. However, that’s probably as a result of some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Lucky 13
Of course, there are always some of us who want to buck the trend, and several successful sports figures have worn the number thirteen.
Park Ji-Sung, South-Korean footballer and midfielder for Manchester United, wore the number.
In America Ozzie Guillén, manager of the 2005 World Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox, wore the number throughout his baseball career and basketball player Yao Ming, wore it in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Country singer, Taylor Swift, is known for her lucky number, which is thirteen. She was born on the 13th of December, thirteen is printed on her perfume, and she even writes thirteen on her body before going on stage each time she performs.
The Italians also consider thirteen to be a lucky number. Although in Campania, the expression ‘tredici’ (meaning thirteen) is said as an oath when somebody considers their luck to have turned for the worse.
