福

(Chinese fu, English: happiness)

This character is often found on front doors as a wish for the family’s "happiness". During the spring festival it is a Chinese custom to display it upside down since the words "overturned" and "arrive" have the same pronunciation, thus getting guests to say "happiness is arriving", an act that will bring blessing to the family.

Thank you Gil, for your knowledge and hard-work, for your sensitivity and spirituality, and for teaching us spoken and written Chinese as well as many other things.