"Carp leaps over the Dragon Gate"
(liyutiaolongmen 鲤鱼跳龙门)
*The word koi comes from Japanese, simply meaning "carp"
The koi fish meaning takes on a enormous significance in Oriental society. The koi fish are believed to be Chinese in origin but is very well known in Japan. As legend has it, as koi fish swim boldly upstream against the adverse currents on the Yellow River, if it is successful in its attempt to swim up the falls at a certain point known as Dragon Gate, there within the mist of the waters of the falls it is magically transformed into a water dragon. Based upon this, the koi became a status symbol representing strong character, courage, and perseverance in achieving hard to reach goals. Also included within these traits is the drive to attain worldly success and advancement, even under trying conditions and against all odds. In Japan, these traits are considered masculin qualities and attributes, as a result, the status of the koi fish has become related with male masculinity. The symbol was said to represent the annual Boys’ Day Festival in Japan where multi-color koi flags were flown as a symbol of honor for each son in a family.
The Koi Fish Meaning is also symbolically used today. For Children’s Day, the koi is symbolic of the family structure and flags are flown in a multiple of colors for different members of the family: Black Koi symbolizes the father; orange stands for the mother; the blue or white color is chosen for a boy; and lastly the red or pink shades symbolizes a girl.
In some cases, the amount of fish, color and even the direction in which the fish are swimming in the water represents a Koi Fish Meaning. For instance, some people believe that 5 golden koi stands for perpetual wealth and prosperity. Other people believe that the colors of the tatoo on your body must represent you as an individual and where you live. All of these traditions only add to the thought and beauty surrounding the koi fish meaning and their legendary status. One other meaning for the symbol which is more common is that of standing for good luck or fortune.
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