Number 8 - Meaning - Symbolism - Fun Facts - in Religion and Myth (2024)

Meaning of Number 8

Number 8is the symbol of harmony and balance.

Number 8symbolizes the ability to make decisions.

Number 8 symbolizes abundance and power.

The Pythagoreans called the number eight “Ogdoad” and considered it the “little holy number”.

Number 8 is a Lucky Number in China

Number 8 is a very lucky number in China. In China eight is hom*onym for prosperity.

When pronounced it sounds much like the word “prosper”.

A double eight, as in 88, is said to bring double joy.

The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in China began on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm.

The eighth day of the Chinese New Year is the day for the annual gathering of all the gods in Heaven.

Number 8 in Astrology and the Tarot

Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac. (October 23 – November 22)

Number eight is the number of Saturn. Number eight is lucky for Capricorn.

In theTarot, eight is the card for Justice or Strength.

Strength symbolizes inner strength and determination. Reversed it means lack of confidence.

In some tarot cards the cards Justice and Strength are in opposite positions, making “Justice” card number 8 and “Strength” card number 11.

Number 8 Fun Facts

9 x 9 + 7 = 88

98 x 9 + 6 = 888

987 x 9 + 5 = 8888

9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888

98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888

987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888

9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888

98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

A bronze anniversary celebrates the eighth year.

The Latin word for eight is “octo”.

The amount of clouds in the sky is measured in oktas (from 0 to 8).

Most umbrellas have eight sides.

An octagon is a polygon that has eight sides.

The stop sign has eight sides.

In the world of computers, a byte is eight bits.

The number 8 is the atomic number for oxygen.

Spiders have eight legs.

The octopus has eight arms.

The mathematical symbol for infinity is like an 8 on its side.

There are eight fluid ounces in a cup. There are eight pints in a gallon.

There were eight original reindeers of Santa. Rudolf joined the group later as a result of the song “Rudolf, the red nose reindeer”. The original eight reindeers were:

Dasher – Dancer – Prancer – Vixen – Comet – Cupid – Donner – Blitzen

The Spanish dollar (silver coin) was known as “a piece of eight”, because it was worth eight reales. Reales was the name of the currency in Spain until 1864.

«Behind the eight» or «Behind the eight-ball» is an “English expression implying that one is in an embarrassing situation”, out of luck or in trouble.

The magic eight-ball
is a toy first produced by Mattel in 1950. The user asks a question holding the ball. When the user turns the ball around one of 20 different answers will appear in the window.

The magic eight-ball was invented by Albert C. Carter and is still manufactured to this day.

There were eight people on Noah’s Ark; Noah and his wife, their three sons (Shem, Ham and Japheth) and the wives of the sons. Genesis, chapter 7

Austria borders to eight different counties: Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungry, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The song “Eight days a week” was a major hit. The Beatles released it in 1964.

The Eighth President

Martin Van Buren was the eighth president of the United States. 1837 – 1841.

Martin Van Buren was Vice President under Andrew Jackson.

Van Buren was the first president born a citizen of the United States.

English was not his first language.

His family was Dutch.

The 8 Planets

There are eight planets in our Solar System.

1. Mercury

2. Venus

3. Earth

4. Mars

5. Jupiter

6. Saturn

7. Uranus

8. Neptune

It takes eight minutes for the sun’s light to reach the earth.

On the Eighth Day

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

December 8th is “The Feast of the Immaculat Conception” in the Roman Catholic faith.

It is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was pure and free from sin from the moment she was conceived in her mother’s womb.

Mary was the daughter of Anne and Joachim. The name Anne is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Hannah.

Birthday of the Virgin Mary

The birth of the Virgin Mary is celebrated nine months later on September 8th.

The picture shows Saint Anne, Saint Joachim with their daughter the Virgin Mary.

• March 8, is the International Women’s Day.
• The World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated May 8. May 8 was the birthday of Henry Dunant (May 8, 1828 – October 30, 1910) from Switzerland, who was the founder of the Red Cross.

• In Ancient Rome the eighth day was an important day to a newborn child. If the newborn lived to the eighth day the child was worth special attention. On this day the baby was rubbed with salt for protection against evil spirits.

The European Union flag was adopted on December 8, 1955.

Babylon – Eight Gates

There were eight gates surrounding the ancient city of Babylon in Mesopotamia. The eighth gate was named the Gate of Ishtar. Ishtar was the goddess of love and war. Ishtar was the Queen of the Earth and Heaven. She was the morning and evening star.

Ishtar was the equivalent of the Sumerian goddess Inanna. More about Inanna – go to Number 3

The Ishtar gate was twelve meters high and beautifully decorated with glazed brick reliefs. It was extremely impressive.

There is a replica of the gate at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. This model is from the same museum.

Millennium Goals

There were eight Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015. These goals were agreed on by 192 United Nations member states.

Wicca Festivals

Eight festivals are observed in the Wicca Wheel of the Year.

Sonnet 8 By William Shakespeare

Number 8 in Buddhism

The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path is also known as “The Middle Way”.

This is the way Buddhist followers go to achieve Nirvana and the end of suffering.

1. Right understanding

2. Right thought

3. Right speech

4. Right action

5. Right livelihood

6. Right effort

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right concentration

Buddha’s Day

Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese Lunar calendar.

Bodhi Day is celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth month in the Chinese calendar. In Japan it is always celebrated on December 8th.

This is the day Siddhartha sat down under the Bodhi tree determined to remain there until he had received enlightenment.

The Eight Immortals – Taoist Philosophy

The Eight Immortals were not gods, but had earned eternal life.

They had supernatural powers and mastered magic. They could fly through the air at very high speed. Their mission was to fight evil.

They were happy wine drinkers, Chinese folk religion sometimes refer to them as “The Eight Drunken Immortals”.

Number 8 in Buddhism – Auspicious Symbols

Buddhist missionaries brought these eight auspicious symbols to China.

They are known as the Ashtamangala.

They are often used in art and in the household.

1. Lotus flower

2. Endless knot

3. Golden fish pair

4. Victory banner

5. Wheel of Dharma

6. Treasure vase

7. Parasol

8. Conch shell

Number 8 in Hinduism

Compatibility in Marriage

Many Hindus may compare horoscopes to make sure a woman and a man are compatible for marriage.

Marital compatibility is based on eight parameters.

Each of the parameters gives a certain amount of marks, adding up to 36 marks.

If the couple has at least 18 marks, they will be fine and it is safe to get engaged.

Krishna

Krishna is considered to be the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Krishna was the eighth son of princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva.

Vasudeva had a cruel brother who ruler the kingdom. His name was King Kansa. There was a prophecy that he would be killed by Vasudeva’s eighth son.

When Krishna was born his parents feared for his life knowing that the King Kansa would have the baby killed.

In order to save his life Krishna was quickly and brought to the couple named Yasoda and Nanda who became his foster parents.

When Krishna became an adult he murdered his evil uncle and the prophecy was fulfilled.

Krishna had eight primary wives. A story of Krishna does tell that he actually had 16108 wives, but only eight of them were his principle wives.

The Star of Lakshmi

Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of Wealth

The Star of Lakshmi is the eight pointed star made up of two squares.

The points symbolize the eight kinds of wealth provided by Lakshmi.

She is a much worshiped goddess. The festival of Diwali (also known as the festival of lights is hugely in her honor.

She is the goddess who may bring wealth and prosperity to her followers.

Many say she will only visit homes that are tidy and clean. Equally important is that she will not call on indolent people.

Number 8 in Judaism

Brit Milah

– on the eighth day

When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared before him.

He was given the name Abraham and a covenant was made between God and Abraham. This is to be found at Genesis 17:1-14

“Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; ….” Genesis 17:10-12

Also in Leviticus 12:3: “And on the eighth day the flesh on his foreskin shall be circumcised.”

Isaac’s circumcision – Israel Museum, Jerusalem

The Jewish religious rite of Brit Milah, commonly known as circumcision, is held on a baby boy’s eighth day of life.

Hanukkah

The Festival of the Lights lasts eight days.

This festival is a celebration of the Jewish victory over the first battle for religious liberty and the rededication of the Holy Temple.

It dates back to the Hellenistic period. Antiochus IV had become king over the Hellenistic Syrian Kingdom. He reigned from 175 – 164 B.C.E. Antiochus had orders sent out that every person in his empire was to serve the Grecian gods and become Greek.

In Palestine it became forbidden, under the penalty of death, to practice the Jewish religion. Sadly many became martyrs. The Holy Temple was filled with statues of Greek gods. Pigs were sacrificed to the Greek god Zeus on the altar.

A small Jewish “army” under leadership of Judah Maccabee fought to regain control of the Temple. The Maccabees were successful and cleansed the Temple.

According to the Talmud, the menorah was required to burn throughout the night every night.

They only had enough olive oil for the menorah to burn for one day. Miraculously the oil burned for eight days. This was the exact time it took to prepare new oil for the menorah.

During Hanukkah the eight candles are lit in memory of the menorah in the Temple. The Hanukkah menorah has a place for eight candles.

In addition there is a place for a ninth candle, the shamash (the servant). The shamash is used to light the other candles. One candle is lit each day of the festival, until all eight are burning the last day.

During the Hanukkah the Jewish families sing songs and eat special foods. The food will often be fried in oil, for example latkes (potato pancakes) or sufganiot (doughnuts).

Playing the dreidel is also popular.

Children may receive Hanukkah gelt (money gifts) or other gifts, often one for each evening of the festival.

Hanukkah is a post biblical festival. Work obligations are not cancelled on account of this festival, though often work is reduced.

Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar).

The Eight Laws of Charity – The Tzedakah

In Judaism, Tzedakah is the religious requirement of charity regardless of a person’s financial status.

Maimonides has Eight Laws of Giving.

These are listed in the Mishneh Torah.

Moses Maimonides (1138 – 1204) was a major Jewish rabbi, philosopher, doctor, mathematician and astronomer.

Number 8 in Mythology

Sleipnir

Sleipnir was the eight-legged horse in Norse mythology.

Sleipnir belonged to Odin, the chief of gods in Norse mythology.

This horse was magical and could easily gallop on land, water and through air.

Rings of Gold

– Norse mythology

Odin, the chief god received eight new rings made of gold every ninth day.

These eight rings dropped from a magical ring also made of gold.

The original gold ring was named Daupnir. It was a gift from the two dwarfs named Brokk and Sindri.

The Eight-Pointed Star

The eight-pointed star was a symbol of the goddess Ishtar of Babylonia.

The Sumerians called the goddess Inanna. Ishtar/Inanna was the goddess of love and war.

She was the morning and evening star. The goddess was the creator of wisdom.

Ishtar/Inanna was the Queen of the Earth and Heaven.