Beijing 2008 Olympics - Why August 8, 2008?

Not a lot of people ever thought about this but there is a very neat significance why the Chinese chose August 8, 2008 to start next year's Beijing 2008 Olympic games. The number 8 appears three times in the date 8-8-2008, is considered very lucky in Chinese culture & traditions. In China, some people have to pay some certain dough in order to have the number 8 in their phone numbers, addresses, car plates & so on. The number 8 is significant in China because it's pronunciation in Cantonese is very similar to "make money".

The number 8 written in Chinese

The Chinese, probably more than anybody else, are betting on hauling the most gold medals next year especially since they will be the host country. Funny as it seems, even with our high-tech society, one of the world's economic & military super powers still rely on superstitions to bring them luck.

Here are some good reads about the Chinese & the number 8:

The Number Eight And The ChineseIn Chinese communities around the world, eight is considered the most fortuitous of numbers, making it much coveted for addresses, phone numbers and bank accounts. If you're Chinese--every fifth person in the world is--an eight not only portends prosperity but confidence and money worth even millions, depending where you are.

Chinese Lucky NumbersIn China, six, eight and nine are considered lucky numbers, since their homophones have auspicious meanings. Six, pronounced 'Liu' in Chinese, implies that everything about you will go smoothly. Eight was originally deemed auspicious by the Cantonese, since in Cantonese, eight reads as 'Fa', which means to make a great fortune in the near future.

8888 and Other Chinese Lucky NumbersLike most cultures in the world, the Chinese believe that some numbers are lucky while others are unlucky. Like a lot of Chinese superstitions, it is mostly base on the pronunciation of number itself and not on Feng Shui. These numbers can be anything, day of the year, house or apartment numbers. Phone or license plate even serial numbers on money bills. Lucky numbers are a big industry in China, where people can choose their own telephone number. Auspicious telephone numbers can get very expensive.

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