11-11-11 may break record for marriages
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Shanghai Daily, October 14, 2011
More than 660 local couples in Shanghai have made reservations to tie the knot on November 11, the day with six "1s," to show their "wholeheartedness" to their spouses.
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11-11-11 may break record for marriages |
The figure is three times higher than that of a normal day, according to the city's marriage registration authority.
Last year, on October 10, 10,150 couples said "I do" at the city's marriage registration offices, the most on a single day since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, as "10-10-10" symbolizes "perfect in everything" for Chinese people.
That figure was 1,300 more than the number who got married on the previous record-setting day, September 9, 2009. Nine, or jiu in Chinese, sounds like the word for "forever."
On August 8, 2008, almost 8,000 couples tied the knot, as eight - ba in Chinese - is pronounced the same as "making a fortune." Eight also is considered a lucky number in China.
The Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau said this year on November 11, the marriage registration number may create a new record, as registration started only three days ago.
"It's not only because the day represents the wholeheartedness, but also because that the day is Singles Day among young people," said Zhou Jixiang, director of the bureau's marriage management division. "Therefore, many people believe it's significant to bid farewell to their bachelor's life on the Singles Day."
To prepare for the big day, officials have started some emergency planning. The marriage-registration office will open earlier than usual on November 11, and volunteers will be arranged to assist the couples.
Officials will also make the certificates ahead of time so that couples don't have to wait long to get them.
"With three years' experience, we don't need people to tell us how to deal with the peak," said Zhou.
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