Chinese Superstitions

I found these in the book by Mr. DeMente and thought it very interesting:

Most even numbers are looked upon as lucky. The number "8" and any combination of "8's" is the most lucky as the word in Chinese for eight means "fortune." The number "4" is not lucky at all because the word used for that number means "death."

The two odd numbers, "5" and "9" are also favored numbers to the Chinese. Five represents:

Five elements, i.e. metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Five tastes, i.e. sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and pungent.
Five basic colors, i.e. red, green, yellow, black, and white.
The ideal family, i.e. three boys and two girls.

You see "9" in the magic square that most of us will recognize in the game "Sudoku."

Bibliography:
DeMente, Boye LaFayette. "The Chinese Mind: Understanding Traditional Chinese Beliefs and Their Influence on Contemporary Culture." Tuttle Publishing. Rutland, Vermont. 2009.

p.s. also the five groups of basic techniques of kung fu based on the movements of: cranes, dragons, leaopards, snakes, and tigers.