Chinese Superstitions

Do you find there's many superstitions or taboos around you? I was preparing Chinese culture classes these days, and found we have so many superstitions and taboos here. In TW, many superstions are connected to the way words sound, either in Mandarin, Taiwanese or Cantonese.

For instance, the number 4 is unlucky because it sounds like the word for 'death' or 'something bad might happened'. Therefore, 4th floor would be the cheapest in a building for you to buy. People don't like to live at 4th. Or having the number in their life, like License Plate Number or phone numbers. Similarly, never give someone a clock cus in Mandarin 'giving a clock' sounds the same as 'holding a funeral' for that person. An unbrella or a pear is also the unlucky gift for its sound as the same character meaning 'to seperate'. Last time, I got a pair of shoes from my friend Sandy, she insisted me to pay her one dollar because giving people shoes means 'wish him/her to leave and never come back'.

On the other hand, some objects have auspicious names. In Taiwanese, the term for radish sounds like 'good luck', and pineapple or orange sounds similar to 'something prosperous is coming'. That's why you can see these stuff around in Chinese people's house during the lunar New Year holidays. Number 6 and 8, are the best lucky numbers to pick as the sound is very like 'good fortune' in Cantonese and Taiwanese...etc.

Do you believe in them? Or dare you risk jinxing yourself by ignoring them? Haha...anyway, I am not really a superstitious person. I only like the way it brought us. I like to have raddish cake over Chinese new year holidays or living at 4th floor which can save more money. But, most of them are in our daily life and became part of our culture. Even Galileo Galilei, the master, still had to submit his trust from burning and just want to survive in the absurd world...