PHNOM PENH, 4 November 2012 (Cambodia Herald)- When it comes to lucky numbers,
traditional Khmer beliefs differ from those of the Chinese which are
largely based on the tone of the character.
For example, eight in Chinese ("ba" in Mandarin) is considered be particularly auspicious as it sounds like "wealth" ("fa" in Mandarin, as in "Gong Xi Fa Cai"). Four or "si" sounds like "death" and is considered particularly unlucky.
Khmer people, on the other hand, go for odd numerals. The Angkor temples feature odd numbers of temples and stairways. Even today, Khmer carpenters usually build odd numbers of steps.
At the same time, many Khmer people are happy to spend vast sums on odd numbers to ensure good fortune.
Davuth, a student, said he paid $70 for a numberplate with odd numbers. "My motorcycle’s number plate is 7979 which means my second life after the Pol Pot regime," he said. "I believe in odd numbers as I think they're lucky."
Sok Kosal, a former lecturer in Khmer culture at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, says the odd numerals represent magic, power and luck.
For example, eight in Chinese ("ba" in Mandarin) is considered be particularly auspicious as it sounds like "wealth" ("fa" in Mandarin, as in "Gong Xi Fa Cai"). Four or "si" sounds like "death" and is considered particularly unlucky.
Khmer people, on the other hand, go for odd numerals. The Angkor temples feature odd numbers of temples and stairways. Even today, Khmer carpenters usually build odd numbers of steps.
At the same time, many Khmer people are happy to spend vast sums on odd numbers to ensure good fortune.
Davuth, a student, said he paid $70 for a numberplate with odd numbers. "My motorcycle’s number plate is 7979 which means my second life after the Pol Pot regime," he said. "I believe in odd numbers as I think they're lucky."
Sok Kosal, a former lecturer in Khmer culture at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, says the odd numerals represent magic, power and luck.
One is something special like the earth, sun or moon while three represents the Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, he said. Five, on the other hand, represents the five precepts of Buddhism.
Seven can refer to the seven days of a week or the seven heads of Brahma. It can also refer to seven generations of ancestors commemorated during the annual Pchum Ben festival. Nine is seen representing the nine planets.
As for Chinese, six and nine are considered lucky in addition to eight. So too is the combination 168 which Phnom Penh seamstress Srey Oun uses for the name of her business. On the other hand, Tiv Pouyngim, a Khmer and Chinese language teacher, prefers six which she says refers to great success and wealth.
No comments:
Post a Comment