While researching Lunar New Year foods, I learned about Chinese lucky numbers.
Once again, I have no idea about the credibility of the China Highlights website, but this is what it says:
‘8’ is the most favored number in modern China due to its association with wealth and luck. The Chinese love this number both in trivial matters and in big moments. 8 is given the highest priority when buying a number plate or buying a house.
Longer numbers including 8 are also lucky.
This month, Gigi’s Cupcakes celebrated its 12th birthday. It is one of several lucrative cupcake companies founded in 2008.
Other cupcakeries that opened in 2008 and grew into profitable national brands include Georgetown Cupcake, Baked by Melissa, and Smallcakes.
2008 was clearly a lucky year for the cupcake business.
Feb. 28 update: what a difference a week makes. The founder announced that she’s selling the shop and leaving the cupcake business behind to focus on a new pie company.
In 2008, I was reporting on cupcakes’ Southern California growth for the newsmedia. Then as now, my phone number included an 8. Thinking back, my childhood phone number also had an 8 and there is an 8 in my current house number.
Here’s to the good luck that cupcakes and 8s represent.
Andrea Adleman | Cupcakologist 