Why most Chinese only put 3 tea cups on their tea table?

[jayinhk]

As we all know, most Chinese normally put only 3 tea cups on their table, anyone know the reason?

Chaozhou style...Looks like the character for taste

[Psyck]

As we all know, most Chinese normally put only 3 tea cups on their table, anyone know the reason?

Since they are superstitious about the number four.

[Tead Off]

As we all know, most Chinese normally put only 3 tea cups on their table, anyone know the reason?

Chaozhou style...Looks like the character for taste

Yes, but not only Chaozhou, most of my friends who love drink tea so much in other province also put only 3 tea cups when they make Kungfu Tea.

Monkey see, monkey do.

[theredbaron]

As we all know, most Chinese normally put only 3 tea cups on their table, anyone know the reason?

Since they are superstitious about the number four.

Maybe this is one reason for this, but why not using 2 or 5 cups?

The number "4" has a very similar pronunciation to "death", and is therefore considered unlucky (like "Friday the 13th", or just "13" is considered unlucky in the west - we have our own traditions of superstition).
When there are 5 guests, there will be 5 cups, but generally it's three cups

[jayinhk]

Down here in HK many buildings don't have 4th or 13th floors. Both traditions are alive and well.

[Tead Off]

Down here in HK many buildings don't have 4th or 13th floors. Both traditions are alive and well.

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

[jayinhk]

Down here in HK many buildings don't have 4th or 13th floors. Both traditions are alive and well.

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

People believe and do ridiculous things...so yes, the fact they do things that don't make sense makes total sense.

[Tead Off]

Down here in HK many buildings don't have 4th or 13th floors. Both traditions are alive and well.

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

People believe and do ridiculous things...so yes, the fact they do things that don't make sense makes total sense.

It's a good reason to keep doing it! Thinking for yourself is way overrated.

[jayinhk]

Down here in HK many buildings don't have 4th or 13th floors. Both traditions are alive and well.

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

People believe and do ridiculous things...so yes, the fact they do things that don't make sense makes total sense.

It's a good reason to keep doing it! Thinking for yourself is way overrated.

Ignorance is bliss! I actually looked for (and rented) office space without a '4' in the unit number.

[Bok]

Just go and buy a mobile phone in Asia. You will get a loooooong list of numbers to choose the combination which is most auspicious for you Extra lucky numbers cost extra of course.

[Tead Off]

Down here in HK many buildings don't have 4th or 13th floors. Both traditions are alive and well.

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

People believe and do ridiculous things...so yes, the fact they do things that don't make sense makes total sense.

It's a good reason to keep doing it! Thinking for yourself is way overrated.

Ignorance is bliss! I actually looked for (and rented) office space without a '4' in the unit number.

Good thinking.

[jayinhk]

Down here in HK many buildings don't have 4th or 13th floors. Both traditions are alive and well.

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

People believe and do ridiculous things...so yes, the fact they do things that don't make sense makes total sense.

It's a good reason to keep doing it! Thinking for yourself is way overrated.

Ignorance is bliss! I actually looked for (and rented) office space without a '4' in the unit number.

Good thinking.

I wasn't taking any chances...starting a new business and all

[thirst]

So what do people do when they have three guests?

Interestingly, in The Importance of Living (1936), Lin Yutang, the Fujianese author, mentions four cups in his description of cultivated tea drinking.

[victoria3]

I was also wondering why Japanese tea sets include 5 cups. I did read the #4 ("shi" in Japanese) has another meaning as "shi" is death. Still doesn't explain 3 cups in China, 5 cups in Japan.

[Hmm]

If my memory serves correctly, it's because you are suppose to have 2 guests. Even if you have only 1 guest drinking, your are supposed to still fill up the third cup in honor of some "guest".

There's a Chaozhou saying also that drinking tea needs three people, drinking wine needs four people. Also the character 品, "品茶" has three mouths. Probably has to do with the old Confucius saying that you need two other people to learn properly, or in this case "taste".

I'm sure there's multiple reasons, including having too many guests ruins the atmosphere, and aesthetically it just looks better.

Isn't there also a move called Guan Yu patrolling his camp, while pouring the tea out of the tea pitcher into the cups? Perhaps there's something to do the Three Kingdoms book. Also it's not like the number three isn't significant in Chinese culture.