Customs around the world in numbers and colours: what to know before you travel or get to know neighbours from other cultures

1. Three things to start with: how to think about these customs

First: ask who thinks this way, and on what occasion. For instance, "4 is unlucky" is a common saying in many Chinese-speaking families, but that does not mean every Chinese speaker cares about it; avoiding sets of 4 when giving gifts in Japan is about the occasion of giving a gift, and does not mean Japanese people are afraid of 4 whenever they buy something.

Second: look at the source. Whether something was written by a museum, a government or a university, or is a story passed around online, makes a big difference to how far you can trust it. Sections 2 to 6 and section 8, which draw on specific sources, each end with the web addresses used in that section, so you can open them and read the original yourself; all of them are also listed together at the end of this guide.

Third: be respectful, but not superstitious. If someone cares about a certain number or colour, simply be understanding and go along with it; but a symbol is only a symbol. Receiving a red envelope with an 8 in the amount does not make the money grow by itself, and going out on the 13th does not make something go wrong because of the date. Do not waste money trying to "change your luck" because of these things, and do not let them hold up things you need to do.

2. 13: why some buildings in Canada go from the 12th floor to the 14th

The elevator skips 13, but the building has not lost a floor. In Canada, you may now and then see an elevator where 14 comes right after 12. Only the numbers on the buttons skip; the floors still follow one after another, and when you press 14, you arrive at the 13th floor. Some buildings also skip floors with a 4 in them (4, 14 and 24).

Vancouver no longer allows new buildings to skip numbers. In 2024, the City of Vancouver's chief building official told the media that since about 2015 the city has not approved new buildings that skip floor numbers, and that a bulletin was issued that year; in 2022, the city also began requiring the unit numbers and door numbers in new buildings to run in order. The reason is safety: firefighters climbing the stairs in thick smoke count the floors one by one, and if the numbers do not match the real floors, they may end up on the wrong floor. Buildings that are already built do not have to be renumbered, so you can still see buildings that skip numbers in Vancouver. This guide did not verify whether Victoria has a similar rule.

If your hotel skips floor numbers, here is what you can do:

• Just find your room by the numbers on the elevator and in the hallway; you do not need to work out which floor it "really" is.
• If you ever need to call 911, give the floor number and room number written at your door and on the elevator; those are the numbers firefighters use to find you.
• There is no need to think a hotel is unsafe because its floor or room numbers contain 4, 13 or 17. When choosing where to stay, look at the location, facilities, reviews and fire exits. If it matters to you, just say a word to the front desk when you check in:

(This asks for a room on another floor.)

Where Friday the 13th comes from. In English it is called Friday the 13th; in North America and Europe, some people think the day is unlucky. In 2024, Stephen Winick, a folklorist at the Library of Congress in the United States, wrote a long article that takes the common explanations apart one by one:

• The "Last Supper" explanation. Jesus ate with his twelve disciples, 13 people in all, and later Judas betrayed Jesus, so some people link "13 people at one table" with misfortune. The scholar points out in particular that the Bible does not say in what order the guests arrived or how they were seated, so the idea that "Judas was the 13th to arrive" cannot be found in the Bible.
• The "12 is complete, 13 is one too many" explanation. There are 12 months in a year and 12 numbers on a clock face, so some people suggest that 13 is like "one step too far". He thinks this explanation makes sense, but there is no evidence for it.
• The Knights Templar explanation. The arrest of the Knights Templar in France on October 13, 1307 (a Friday) is often said to be the origin. In his view, most historians do not believe this, because there is no record of such a taboo in the Middle Ages; it looks more like a story made up later to explain it.
• The earliest record that can be found. The article says the earliest writing that clearly links "the 13th" with "Friday" appears in French works from the 1830s; English translations followed, the idea reached the United States in the second half of the 19th century, and by 1907 an American novel was already using it as a familiar idea.

The article also points out that the stories used to explain where a custom "comes from" may themselves be folk tales that spread later. When you hear "this custom started with such-and-such an event", do not believe it right away.

In Canada, Friday the 13th is like any other day: people go to work and school, and shops, banks and government offices are open as usual.

3. A different place, a different number

Here is a table first; each one is explained below:

4 and 8: it comes from the sound. The Open University in the UK says in its introductory Chinese course that in Chinese, "four" (sì) sounds close to "death" (sǐ), so 4 is not considered a good number in Chinese culture; "eight" sounds close to the word for "prosper" in "get rich", and in Cantonese it also sounds close to "good luck", so 8 is seen as a lucky number. The example the course gives: the 2008 Beijing Olympics opened at 8 p.m. on August 8. Note that in Mandarin, "eight" and "prosper" only sound close; they do not sound the same. And not everyone cares; some people pay no attention to any of this.

Japan: do not give gifts in sets of 4, and avoid 9 in money gifts too. The Japanese travel website Japan Guide says that in Japanese one reading of 4 sounds the same as "death", so gifts are generally not given in sets of 4. Nippon.com, a Japanese news and culture website, goes into more detail on money gifts: 4 (shi) and 9 (ku) sound the same as "death" and "suffering", and both numbers are avoided in money gifts. When you buy a gift box, you do not need to count the sweets inside yourself; tell the shop staff what occasion it is for, and they will help you choose.

17 in Italy. The Local Italy, an English-language news website about Italy, says that in Italy Friday the 17th is seen as an unlucky day, and some people avoid doing anything important or holding important meetings that day; 17 is often skipped, for instance in street numbers, hotel floors and airplane seats. One common explanation is that 17 written in Roman numerals is XVII, and rearranging the letters gives the Latin VIXI, meaning "I have lived", which makes people think of death. The article also says there are other explanations of the origin, and there is no settled answer. On the other hand, the same article says that for Italians, Friday the 13th is "nothing to worry about".

Spanish-speaking places: Tuesday the 13th. In some Spanish-speaking places, the unlucky day is Tuesday the 13th (martes 13), not Friday. A 2024 article in the Argentine newspaper La Nación quotes an old saying: "no te cases ni te embarques, ni de tu casa te apartes", which roughly means "on this day, do not marry, do not board a ship for a long journey, and do not leave your home". The article says the link with Tuesday may have to do with Mars, the Roman god of war, but this is only a "may", and it also says these beliefs have no scientific basis. If friends joke about the day, just laugh along; there is no need to change your plans.

9 in Thailand: a wish for "moving forward". The Thailand Foundation (an organization that introduces Thai culture) says that the Thai word for "nine" is pronounced kao and sounds close to "moving forward", and 9 is seen as the luckiest number in Thailand. At happy occasions such as weddings and housewarmings, people often give nine auspicious desserts, as a wish that everything moves forward for you and your wishes come true.

18 in Jewish culture. ReformJudaism.org, the website of the Union for Reform Judaism in the United States, says that the Hebrew word chai means "life", and the two letters of this word have the values 8 and 10, which add up to 18. So when Jewish people give money at major life events such as a bar or bat mitzvah or a wedding, or donate to charity, they often use multiples of 18 (such as $18, $36 or $54). This is a religious and cultural custom that crosses national borders, not a rule that everyone in a particular country follows.

4. Numbers in the Bible: read them in the context of the text

In Victoria you may have Protestant or Catholic neighbours and coworkers, and you may go to a church for a wedding or a memorial service. This section only covers a few numbers that people often mention, to help you understand what others are talking about.

First, tell three things apart. What the text says is one thing; how people later interpreted it is a second thing; and folk beliefs about good and bad luck are a third. A 2010 article by the American Bible Society specifically cautions that a number in the Bible is sometimes just a quantity and does not necessarily have a symbolic meaning. Nor does the Bible contain any method for working out whether a phone number or a street number is lucky.

• 7. Genesis 2:1–3 says that on the seventh day God finished the work of creation and rested on the seventh day, and blessed that day and made it holy. The American Bible Society sums up 7 as "complete, perfect"; BibleProject, an organization that explains the Bible, also says that in the Bible 7 symbolizes completeness and wholeness and is linked with the Sabbath.
• 3. Luke 24:7 speaks of Jesus rising "on the third day"; Matthew 28:19 speaks of baptizing in the name of "the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit". Many Christians think of these when they see 3. But not every time three people or three days appear in the Bible is it about this.
• 12. Israel had twelve tribes, and Jesus had twelve apostles; Revelation 21:12–14 describes the New Jerusalem as having twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes written on them, and a city wall with twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles. The American Bible Society also counts 12 as a number of completeness.
• 40. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells of the Israelites walking in the wilderness for forty years; Matthew 4:1–2 tells of Jesus fasting in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. The American Bible Society sums up 40 as "a long period of time, but one with an end".
• 6 and 666. Genesis 1 says humans were made on the sixth day, and at the end of that day God looked at everything he had made, and it was "very good". Revelation 13:18 says the number of the beast is 666, and some ancient manuscripts have 616. What this number refers to has been interpreted in many ways over the centuries, and scholars disagree. Whatever the interpretation, seeing 666 in a phone number, a licence plate or a bill is no reason to decide that someone is bad or that something will go wrong somewhere.
• 13. Nowhere does the Bible say that 13 is unlucky. "13 is unlucky" is a folk belief that came later (see section 2).

Related: for how churches in Canada work and where their money comes from, see Guide No. 75, How do churches in Canada pay their way?, section 2 "Where a church's money usually comes from and where it goes".

5. Colours: the same colour can mean different things on different occasions

China: red is for happy occasions, and white is linked with mourning. The Government of Canada's 2023 Lunar New Year statement says that at New Year, people wear red, hang red lanterns and put up spring couplets as signs of prosperity and good luck, and adults give children red envelopes to wish them a safe and peaceful new year. In Chinese tradition, white is linked with mourning and filial piety; the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in the United States says the same in its introduction to the court art of the Ming dynasty. So using red for happy occasions, and white or plain colours for funerals, is a custom in many Chinese-speaking families. But customs differ from region to region, between ethnic groups and from family to family, so the safest thing is to ask the host what to wear.

The white wedding dress actually only became common from the 19th century on. The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in the UK says that Queen Victoria wore a white dress at her wedding in 1840, and this had a big influence; before that, brides often wore red, pink, blue, brown, or even black. After the Queen, many people with less money still chose coloured or printed dresses, because they were more practical and also cheaper; it was not until the late 19th century that white wedding dresses became the choice of most brides.

Black has been worn at weddings too. The wedding customs exhibition of the Rauma city museum in Finland says that there, for a long time, black was the most common colour for wedding dresses. In 2015, the Kyoto National Museum in Japan held a special exhibition on Japanese wedding clothing that introduced two kinds of bridal garments that are still central to Japanese weddings today: the pure white shiromuku, and the black hikifurisode with patterns; both go back to the Edo period (1603 to 1868). This shows that black can be used for happy occasions, but you cannot say that "Finns all wear black to get married" or that "the Japanese always use black for happy occasions". Historical clothing and how people dress today are two different things.

India: red is common, but it is not the only colour. The same V&A article gives an example: a bride at a Hindu wedding in north-west London in 1998 wore Gujarati-style saris: a red, white and gold sari from her own family, and a red and gold sari from her husband's family; the article says that in India, red is seen as a symbol of future success and prosperity. So red is common, and white is not necessarily ruled out. If you are going to an Indian friend's wedding, first ask what the hosts would like.

Thailand: yellow is linked with Monday and with the King's birthday. The Thailand Foundation says there is a tradition in Thailand of matching each day of the week with a colour, and Monday's colour is yellow; the former King, Rama IX, and the current King, Rama X, were both born on a Monday, so at royal celebrations such as the King's birthday, the streets are full of yellow clothes and yellow flags. Visitors do not need to dress by this colour scheme every day. Also be aware: the Government of Canada's travel website warns that in Thailand, words or actions that offend or insult the King or the royal family are against the law and can lead to prosecution and heavy sentences, and this includes what you say online.

The Netherlands: orange on King's Day. The official Dutch tourism website says King's Day in the Netherlands is on April 27, and people traditionally wear orange to celebrate, because the royal family is the House of Orange, so orange has become the national colour. If you are there as a visitor, wearing something orange is an easy way to join in the festive mood; not wearing it is not rude either. For the exact date each year, go by what the Dutch authorities announce.

"Black tie" in Canada and the US: it does not mean funeral clothes. When the invitation to a formal Western-style wedding or dinner says "Black tie", that is a dress code. Emily Post, an etiquette organization in the US, says men wear a black tuxedo, a white shirt and a black bow tie; women can wear a long evening gown, a formal cocktail dress, or a dressier "little black dress"; black tie is one of the most common formal dress codes for weddings. The same organization has also written that black-and-white themed weddings "used to be taboo, but are popular now". So when you look at colour, also look at the style of the clothes, the occasion and what the host asks for.

Black pompoms hanging on the front of a car. On the streets of Victoria, you may have seen cars with a string of black pompom tassels hanging on the front. The Signal, a news outlet run by journalism students at the University of King's College in Halifax, interviewed several car owners of Punjabi background in December 2024: these black pompoms are called paranda and are usually hung on the front bumper; the owners said they are decorative, and also carry the meaning of good luck and keeping bad things away, a tradition that goes back to Punjabi truck drivers. However, only the owner knows what a particular car on the road has hanging on it and why; do not guess an owner's ethnic background, religion or views from the decorations on the car.

6. Gifts, red envelopes and money gifts: a few situations

What to bring to dinner at a Canadian friend's home. A 2025 article by the American etiquette organization Emily Post says:

• The first time you visit someone's home, bringing a small gift as a thank-you is a good practice; if you stay the night, bring one too (except with your own immediate family).
• For a casual meal, you do not have to bring a gift, but guests often ask whether they should bring a dish or something to drink; for a dinner party where you are specially invited to someone's home, rather than a casual meal, guests often bring a small gift, though close friends who come over often may not; for a large formal dinner, especially if you do not know the host well, a gift is generally not needed.
• Things you could bring: a bottle of wine, chocolates, jam, candles, a small dish, a small cutting board and the like. If you bring wine, do not expect the host to open it that evening; whether to open it is up to the host.
• If you bring flowers, it is best to bring them with a vase (or in a glass jar), so the host does not have to leave the guests to look for a vase.
• Give gifts you can afford. After staying at someone's home, write a handwritten thank-you card once you are back.

You can ask:

(This asks whether you should bring anything.)

If the host says "Just bring yourself", it means just come; bringing a small gift is still not rude.

Red envelopes for Chinese-speaking friends. The Government of Canada's Lunar New Year statement says that at New Year, adults give children red envelopes to wish them a safe and peaceful new year. In many Chinese-speaking families, 4 is not very lucky and 8 is seen as lucky (see section 3), so when you fill a red envelope, try not to have the digit 4 in the amount (for instance, 40 or 400), and some people like to include an 8. But each family is different; if you are not sure, ask an older relative or a friend who knows the customs: "How much would be appropriate here?"

Money gifts for a wedding or funeral in Japan. A 2025 Nippon.com article explains it clearly:

• Wedding money (shugi): use brand-new bills, which stand for something clean and a fresh start; the amount generally starts with an odd digit, and even numbers are avoided at weddings; money gifts are generally between 5,000 and 30,000 yen, depending on how close you are to the person; if you want to give 20,000 yen, you can use one ten-thousand-yen bill and two five-thousand-yen bills, to make three bills.
• Funeral money (koden): the other way round, use used bills. Brand-new bills can give the impression that you "had it ready long ago".
• Both kinds of money gift avoid 4 and 9.
• The paper cords on the money envelope (mizuhiki): red and white for happy occasions, black and white for sad ones; a tight knot (musubikiri) is used for things you hope will happen only once, such as weddings and funerals; a bow that is easy to untie (chomusubi) is used for happy events you hope will happen again and again, such as the birth of a child or starting school. When visiting someone who is sick or injured, use a red and white tight knot.
• When you give it, wrap the envelope in a cloth called a fukusa; use a warm, bright cloth for happy occasions and a plain one for funerals, and purple works for any occasion. Hand it over with both hands and say a few words of congratulations or condolence.

When buying a money envelope in a shop in Japan, the easiest way is to tell the staff what it is for: "結婚式用です" (kekkonshiki-yō desu, "it is for a wedding") or "お葬式用です" (osōshiki-yō desu, "it is for a funeral").

Visiting a Japanese friend's home. Japan Guide says that when you visit someone's home, you can bring a thank-you gift (called temiyage in Japanese); for foreign visitors a gift is not required, but something from your home country will be appreciated, usually costing between 1,000 and 5,000 yen. Japanese people place great importance on wrapping; a gift that is not wrapped is best given in the bag from the shop where you bought it; give and receive with both hands.

Money gifts for Jewish friends. See section 3: you can use multiples of 18, such as $36 or $54, to mean "a blessing for life".

Flowers. In different places, what flowers, what colours and how many stems to give all differ, and this guide did not find a reliable general rule. The most practical approach is to tell the florist who the flowers are for and what the occasion is (a wedding, visiting someone who is sick, a condolence, or a thank-you), and ask the florist to put them together for you.

7. What colours to wear to weddings and funerals

This section gives general suggestions on what people usually do, not a rule of any country; this guide did not find one authoritative general guide on this, so the most important thing comes down to one point: ask the hosts.

Read the invitation first, then ask the hosts. Invitations often state a dress code, such as "Black tie", "Cocktail" or "Casual". If it is not clear, simply ask the couple or the person organizing it. In Chinese, you can ask whether there are any colours they suggest wearing, or any colours to avoid. In English, you can say: "Are there any colours you would like guests to wear or avoid?"

At a Western-style wedding: unless someone has said otherwise, the safe choice is not to wear an all-white outfit close to the bride's wedding dress, unless the couple say it is welcome. Dressing neatly and appropriately for the occasion is enough.

At the wedding of a Chinese-speaking friend's family: red is the colour of celebration, but the bride may also wear red. Asking what to wear is the safest.

At a funeral or memorial service: if nothing has been said, dark, plain and neat clothes are the safest choice. In Canada, many families now hold a "celebration of life" (a gathering to remember the life of the person who died), and sometimes the family asks everyone to wear bright colours, or the colours the person liked. Do whatever the family asks. The obituary often states these wishes, so read it before you go.

At weddings and funerals in families of other religions or cultural backgrounds: each family's customs may be completely different. Do not rely on an online "list of taboo colours by country"; ask the hosts directly. Asking is nothing to be embarrassed about; it shows that you care.

8. Before you leave: where to look up the customs of your destination

The Government of Canada's travel advice website, travel.gc.ca, is the first place to look. Each country has its own page, covering the local safety situation, entry requirements, health advice, and local laws and customs. How to look it up:

1. Open https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories (the English page is called "Travel advice and advisories"; there is a French version, but no Chinese version).
2. Under "Where are you going?", choose the country you are going to from the "Destination" list.
3. On that country's page, click the "Laws and culture" section.
4. It is divided into subheadings; common ones include "Dress and behaviour", "Drugs", "Identification" (carrying ID) and "Money" (rules on cash), and they vary from country to country.

Each country's page has a risk level section, with four levels from lowest to highest: "Take normal security precautions", "Exercise a high degree of caution", "Avoid non-essential travel" and "Avoid all travel". On the main travel advice page from step 1, you can also click "Register a trip outside Canada" to register your trip abroad, so that the Government of Canada can contact you if something serious happens there. This service, called Registration of Canadians Abroad, is free; it lets the Government of Canada notify you if there is an emergency at your destination or a personal emergency at home.

A few examples (as seen on November 7, 2026):

• India: dress conservatively; avoid public displays of affection; do not wear shoes in temples and other places of worship; ask before taking photos of places of worship such as temples and mosques; do not photograph military installations, airports or dams.
• United Arab Emirates: local customs and laws closely follow Islamic practices, and revealing clothing is considered inappropriate, so dress modestly; foreign women are not required to wear a headscarf; during Ramadan, do not eat, drink or smoke in public from sunrise to sunset; public displays of affection such as holding hands or kissing may attract the attention of the authorities; ask before taking photos of people.
• Thailand: words or actions that offend the King or the royal family are against the law (see section 5).
• Japan: "Laws and culture" does not have a part specifically about dress and behaviour, but it says that some places may ask people with tattoos to cover them up, or may even refuse them entry, and that many places in Japan still mainly use cash.

When visiting temples, churches, mosques, gurdwaras or other religious sites, or joining local festivals: first read the notices posted by the site or the organizers; common requirements include covering your shoulders and knees, taking off your shoes, covering your hair, and where you may or may not take photos. If you are not sure, ask the staff at the entrance:

(This asks what you need to be aware of before going in.)

If you have an emergency abroad: Canadian citizens can contact the Government of Canada's Emergency Watch and Response Centre, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From outside Canada, call +1-613-996-8885 (call collect where available); from the U.S. or Canada, you can call 1-800-387-3124 toll-free; or email SOS@international.gc.ca. This page is written for Canadian citizens. This guide's suggestion: if you are not yet a citizen, read the page carefully before you leave, and look up how to contact the embassy or consulate of the country that issued your passport.

9. If you break a taboo by accident: what to say

Everyone has times when they do not know. If someone points out that you gave the wrong thing or used the wrong colour, the best approach is to apologize first, then ask to learn more; do not rush to explain or argue.

In Chinese, you can say (here is what it means):

• "I'm sorry, I'm not very familiar with the customs here. Could you tell me?"
• "I'm really sorry, I didn't know this mattered. I'll be careful next time."

In English, you can say:

(This apologizes and asks the person to tell you more.)

(This thanks the person and says you will remember next time.)

The other way round, if someone accidentally breaks a taboo that matters to you: they most likely just did not know. A smile and a word of explanation is enough, for instance: "In our family, 4 is not very lucky, but never mind, thank you for the thought."

The best way to find out what matters to the other person is to ask directly: "Does this have any special meaning in your family?" The answer is often much more accurate than "people from such-and-such a country are all like this", and warmer too.

10. Respect customs, and keep your own judgment

• Respect. People use a number or a colour to express good wishes, grief, belonging and faith, and these feelings deserve respect. Being understanding about a friend's choices and going along with the arrangements of a ceremony is respect.
• Do not decide for other people. Within the same culture, each person thinks differently. Do not assume that someone must like or fear something because of their nationality, ethnic background or religion.
• A symbol is not a cause. Liking a certain number can be a small pleasure in life; but do not let it lead you to discriminate against others or hold up things you need to do, and do not spend an unreasonable amount of money to "change your luck". If someone asks you for money in the name of "changing your luck" or "undoing" bad luck, stop and think first, and talk it over with your family.

11. Checklist before you go

Related guides

• → No. 75 · How do churches in Canada pay their way?
  How a church, a society and a registered charity differ (section 1); where a church's money usually comes from and where it goes (section 2); how to get an official receipt when you donate (section 6); and what to watch out for if you rent a church hall for an event (section 11).

Main official links in this guide

These are all 31 web pages used in this guide; sections 2 to 6 and section 8 also list, at the end, the ones used in that section. Not all of them are government websites: besides the Government of Canada's travel advice and Lunar New Year statement, there are pages from museums, a university, news websites, etiquette organizations, religious organizations and cultural organizations. All 31 pages were opened and read on November 7, 2026.