Why is the 1 and 4 on a dice red?
Matthew Perez
Updated on May 23, 2026
Chinese and Korean dice will have a red 4-spot as well as the 1. The Chinese custom of painting the 4-spot red is said to have originated when an Emperor playing sugoruku with his queen was about to lose and desperately needed fours to win the game. He cried out, threw the dice and they came up accordingly.