A gift with all the right numbers – makes it lucky!

You’re invited… to a wedding and you immediately start thinking about the wedding gift your friends would like. If the wedding couple are of a different culture to your own, its helpful to know about lucky numbers because if you contribute money to their gift registry, make it a lucky amount!

Australians are a multi-cultural society, with more than 75% identifying with an ancestry other than Australian and about 45% having at least one parent who was born overseas.

Lucky number for multicultural weddings

Here are a few tips to make sure you pick the right lucky numbers for the culture of the happy couple.

Chinese. Eight is a particularly auspicious number. Even numbers are better than odd numbers, except four which should be avoided because in the Chinese language, four sounds similar to death. In China, 666 is an auspicious number as it can mean “Everything goes smoothly”.

If giving cash, the notes should always be new and crisp. Folding the money or giving wrinkled bills is in bad taste. Put the money inside a red envelope as red is a lucky colour. Pink and yellow symbolise happiness and gold for fortune and wealth.

Avoid white, black and blue as they symbolise death and should not be used. Never write a Chinese person’s name in red ink as this is considered bad luck.

Hindu. At a Hindu wedding, numbers ending in one are considered lucky, so it is best to give money in denominations ending in one; for example $101, $151 or $201. Cash is preferable when giving money. Never give a gift made of leather as it is sacrilegious.

Buddhist. Giving money in denominations ending in one is also a Buddhist tradition. If you are giving cash, find a traditional red envelope with gold and black lettering to tuck the money inside.

Jewish. Give money in multiples of 18, which is the numerical equivalent to the Hebrew word ‘chai’ that means ‘life’ in English. Get your calculator out and do the math, as depending on your relationship to the couple, you might want to give $144, which is eight times chai, or 11 times chai, which is $198, or any other multiple of 18.

Lucky or unlucky? Pick a number!

Certain numbers can be regarded as lucky in some cultures, but unlucky in others. Here are just a few examples:

Lucky Number 3: China, Sweden, Italy, USA.

Reason: Considered to be lucky in Chinese philosophy. In Sweden, they say: ‘Good things come in threes’. In Italy, 3 represents a triangle, a symbol for strength and balance.

Unlucky Number 3: Vietnam, Japan

Reason: Superstition says that if a photo shows 3 people, the middle person will die.

Lucky Number 4: Germany

Reason: The number matches the number on the lucky ‘four-leaf clover’.

Unlucky Number 4: China, Japan, Vietnam, or any countries with a Chinese or Japanese influence.

Reason: In China and Japan, the word for number four is similar to the Chinese word for death.

Lucky Number 7: UK, USA, France, Netherlands, or any westernised country.

Reason: Biblical references, 7 wonders of the ancient world, 7 planets of the ancient world.

Unlucky Number 7: China, Vietnam, Thailand, or any country with Chinese influences.

Reason: July or ‘the seventh month’ is the month is where people pay respects to the dead.

Lucky Number 8: China, Japan, Vietnam, or any countries with a Chinese or Japanese influence

Reason: The number 8 in both languages sounds similar to ‘prosper and make money’.

Unlucky Number 8: India

Reason: This is the number of Sani which is a relation breaker, peace breaker.

Lucky Number 9: China, Norway

Reason: In China 9 is the number for the emperor. A sacred number in Norwegian mythology.

Unlucky Number 9:  Japan

Reason: The word sounds similar to ‘suffering’.

Lucky Number 13: Italy

Reason: The number represents St. Anthony, the patron saint of finding things or lost people.

Unlucky Number 13: USA, UK, Sweden, Norway, or any westernised country.

Reason: Associated with unlucky events, mainly the Last Supper.

Lucky Number 39: USA, UK, France, or any country that practices Catholicism

Reason: Sometimes regarded as the number of Divine guidance.

Unlucky Number 39: Afghanistan

Reason: Considered to be a curse as it sounds similar to ‘dead cow’.

Lucky Number 666: China

Reason: In China, 666 can mean ‘Everything goes smoothly’.

Unlucky Number 666: USA, UK, Brazil, or any Christian country.

Reason: In the Bible, 666 is the Number of the Beast.

With Gift Card Registry, contribute your gift in the luckiest denomination and wish the happy couple a wonderful future.

To find out more about setting up a registry for gift giving phone 1300 354 632 or visit giftcardregistry.com.au.