Mahjong Taboo

Many Chinese people are very superstitious, particularly the elderly—and I would include myself among them. If you read the blog post I wrote earlier this year on the meaning of the 15 days of Lunar New Year, you may recall that some Chinese (in Taoism and Buddhism) pray to the God of Wealth for blessings. This “blessing money” is referred to in Chinese as 偏财 (Piān cái), meaning unexpected income or windfalls such as bonuses, lottery winnings, or stock gains.

Today, I’m writing about mahjong taboos—the things you should and shouldn’t do when playing. I gathered this information from relatives, by listening to Singapore Love 97.2FM’s Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories, from feng shui writer Lillian Too’s books, and from my own experiences.

On my last trip to Singapore, my uncle gifted us a mahjong set. However, it took me months to finally buy a mahjong table (£90 from Vanguard Chinese Supermarket in Birmingham). I was very excited, as it had been a long time since I last played.

My parents and relatives love playing mahjong whenever there is a gathering at my grandparents’ house. It’s their favourite pastime. I remember there were always one or two tables running in the background—it was so noisy! People would rotate and take turns playing until midnight, and some would continue until 2 or 3 am. Before my grandmother passed away, they also enjoyed playing Chinese four colour cards with her.

Anyway, here are some mahjong taboos or superstitions that some people believe in while playing:

1. Changing your luck

Are you losing a lot of money or struggling to win? Some believe you can change your luck. If you are continuously losing, you can go to the toilet to wash your hands or walk around your chair three times. Washing your hands is said to wash away bad luck.

As for walking around the chair, according to Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories (17 February 2023), his father said that when the game starts, a “good friend” (a mahjong ghost) may linger near the table. If it stays near you, it may cause you to lose. Walking around the chair is believed to chase it away. I once suggested this to my son, and he won twice afterwards!

2. Avoid discarding “West” tiles early

Never discard “West” (西 Xī) tiles consecutively at the start of the game. If the other three players have already discarded West tiles, you should not discard the fourth.

Placing all four West tiles together (四人归西) symbolises death, as “West” in Chinese culture can represent going to the afterlife.

Also, avoid discarding the one-dot tile (一筒 Yī Tǒng) immediately after all players discard West tiles simultaneously. This forms the phrase 一同归西 (Yī Tóng Guī Xī), meaning “all die together”.

3. Avoid certain tile combinations

If someone discards a green tile 發 (Fā, as in 發财 Fā Cái), you should not immediately discard the South (南 Nán) tile next. This creates the phrase 難發财 (Nán Fā Cái), meaning “hard to prosper”.

4. Don’t read while playing

Avoid reading a book while playing mahjong. The word “book” (书 Shū) sounds like “to lose” in Chinese. Similarly, having a backpack nearby is considered unlucky, as it is associated with books and therefore losing.

5. Don’t pat players on the back

Do not pat someone on the back while they are playing or about to play. It is believed that you are “patting away” their luck. Some mischievous people even do this intentionally before a game starts!

6. The 13 Wonders taboo

Some say you should not self-draw (自摸 Zì Mō) a win with the 13 Wonders/Orphans hand (十三幺 Shí Sān Yāo), as it forms 14 tiles—which, in Cantonese, can symbolise death.

However, many people don’t believe this, as it is extremely rare. My uncle actually won with this hand last month (March 2023) and even went on to win money in Singapore’s 4D lottery afterwards—so it’s not necessarily bad luck!

Another practical reason for this belief is that players may misread their tiles and declare a win incorrectly, ending up paying all three opponents instead.

Some also believe you should avoid winning with 13 Wonders on the first day of Chinese New Year, as it may bring bad luck for the rest of the year—but who knows!

Feng Shui Tips to Enhance Mahjong Luck

If you’d like to improve your luck using feng shui, here are some tips from Lillian Too’s Personalised Feng Shui Tips (Tip 51, 2005):

• Sit facing one of your auspicious directions to minimise losses.
• Do not allow anyone to sit on your right, as this is believed to bring bad luck. An observer on your left is acceptable.
• Sit in a well-lit area. A bright (but not glaring) light above you is considered auspicious. Avoid harsh spotlights, as they create excessive yang energy.
• Wear clothing in your lucky colours.
• Keep three coins tied with a red thread in your purse and on the table in front of you to attract good luck. You can also place them among your chips to “energise” them.
• Avoid sitting directly facing a toilet door, the dining room entrance, or under an overhead beam or sharp corner.

How to Calculate Your KUA Number

To determine your auspicious direction, you need your KUA number:

1. Use your lunar birth year and add the last two digits.
2. Reduce the result to a single digit.
3. For men: subtract from 10.
   For women: add 5.
4. If the result is still two digits, reduce it again to a single digit.

Note: If you were born before Lunar New Year, subtract one from your birth year.

For example:

• If you were born on 15 February 1980, your lunar birth year is 1979. (Year of the Sheep starts on 28th January 1979 to 15th February 1980)
• If you were born on 16 February 1980, your lunar birth year is 1980. (Year of the Monkey starts on 16th Feb 1980 to 4th February 1981)

Examples:

• Man born in 1985: 8 + 5 = 13 → 1 + 3 = 4 → 10 − 4 = 6 → KUA number is 6.
• Woman born in 1979: 7 + 9 = 16 → 1 + 6 = 7 → 5 + 7 = 12 → 1 + 2 = 3 → KUA number is 3.