Lucky bamboo – also known by it’s plant name as Dracaena sanderiana – is a gift that is often given to someone to wish feng shui and blessings of some form.
Depending on your arrangement of bamboo stalks, you can impart different meanings and blessings.
So how many bamboo stalks are lucky? Well, that depends on how much and what kind of luck you wish to bestow on the person. In Chinese culture, nine stalks represent the best of luck; in contrast, six stalks represents luck combined with wealth.
Several meanings are assigned to the different number of stalks you could include in your gift of lucky bamboo arrangements, and this article we will focus on the meaning of the following:
- What is the significance of lucky bamboo?
- What is the meaning behind nine stalks of lucky bamboo?
- What is the meaning behind six stalks of lucky bamboo?
- What are the other meanings behind different lucky bamboo arrangements?
- Are there any lucky bamboo arrangements that are unlucky?
What Is the Significance of Lucky Bamboo?
Lucky bamboo is an ancient Chinese tradition (but is practiced throughout Asia), where people give an arrangement of a bamboo-like plant called dracaena to a loved one or friend.
The meaning behind this gift revolves mainly around the notion that you are gifting spelling, good fortune, good luck, good health, wealth, or any type of blessing to the recipient.
In some instances, individuals will feel that this plant gift brings feng shui (another Chinese method of establishing harmony between individuals and their surroundings as a result of energy) to the recipient.
Further, the number of stalks that are present in a lucky bamboo arrangement conveys a certain blessing.
In addition, the arrangement of the stalks sometimes represents another meaning, such as:
- Braded stalks represent good news, luck or business expansion
- Woven trellis represents the release of negatively charged energies
- Pillar styles represent those who are hoping for a better future
What Is the Meaning Behind Nine Stalks of Lucky Bamboo?
If ya give someone a gift of nine stalks of lucky bamboo, this is the luckiest arrangement you can give, based on the meaning.
Nine stalks represents a gift of “great luck” to the recipient.
While other arrangements of lucky bamboo represent good luck and blessings pertaining to wealth and health, it is important to note that nine stalks is only for extending great luck.
What Is the Meaning Behind Six Stalks of Lucky Bamboo?
An arrangement of lucky bamboo with six stalks is also for providing luck specifically. This arrangement refers to “good luck and wealth” in Chinese culture.
This number of lucky bamboo stalks also has connections with feng shui practice, as it was to create a sense of harmony between the recipient and their environment or surroundings.
What Are the Other Meanings Behind Different Lucky Bamboo Arrangements?
There are 7 other numerical arrangements of lucky bamboo place to gift arrangements, most of which have significance.
They have different amounts of bamboo stalks and different meanings attached to them.
Two Stalks
If you give someone a lucky bamboo arrangement of just two stalks, then you are giving a gift with love significance.
This lucky bamboo arrangement is often gifted to a newly married couple or a couple.
This gift is considered to give good luck onto the relationship.
Three Stalks
A lucky bamboo arrangement with three stalks represent three blessings, wealth, happiness, and long life.
It’s a great gift to give around the New Year because of its connection with new beginnings.
Five Stalks
A lucky bamboo arrangement with five stalks means success and wealth mostly.
But the five stalks also represent the five natural elements – wood, earth, fire, water, and air.
Seven Stalks
You would give a person seven stalks if you were granting them good health.
Seven is a universally accepted lucky number, and lucky bamboo is no exception.
Eight Stalks
An offering of eight stalks embodies lots of things – mainly, growth and success, too.
Again, the lucky number eight is not exclusive to lucky bamboo when it comes to Chinese culture.
Ten Stalks
Ten stalks is the arrangement of lucky bamboo that represents the gift of perfection!
Twenty-One Stalks
Last but not least, twenty-one stalks is another popular arrangement of luck bamboo.
This arrangement represents the ultimate blessing of joy, wealth, health, success, fortune, and relationship!
Other Arrangements
Additionally, some folks will gift large displays of lucky bamboo.
These aren’t gifted as often as the small arrangements mostly because they are large and typically more expensive, but you may see:
- 888 stalks: since some people consider the number 8 to be lucky, this arrangement should theoretically create three times the wealth of the 8-stalk arrangement
- 88 stalks: this arrangement is meant to double the joy blessing
- 289 stalks; this arrangement is a good luck and joy arrangement for the receiver
Are There Any Lucky Bamboo Arrangements That Are Unlucky?
Yep, in Chinese tradition, people avoid using four stalks for the lucky bamboo arrangement because it is considered unlucky.
In fact, people consider the number four as unlucky (a sign of death) throughout most Chinese culture.
A gift of four would not really be a gift, more like the opposite.
Conclusion
Chinese culture considers lucky bamboo arrangements as gifts with various luck and blessings.
Each arrangement takes on a particular meaning based on the number of stalks that make it up. The most common arrangements are 9, 6, 21, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10.