Happy Singles' Day!
November 11, 2008
In the U.S., it seems that the odds are stacked against those who are single. If someone is in a relationship, you get extra presents on Valentine's Day. If you're married, you get engagement, wedding and anniversary presents, and when the kids come along, your friends will even throw you a baby shower.
What do singles get in return? Gratitude.
In China, however, November 11 is a day for singles to celebrate. The day 11-11 symbolizes four individuals who are standing alone, so what better time to get together? On this day, which became popular among university students during the 1990s, singles come together to hang out and just enjoy themselves.
Many eat four youtiao, or deep-fried sticks of dough, to represent the four ones in the date, with a baozi, or steamed bun with a sweet bean filling, to symbolize the dot in 11.11.
Of course, many of those who really get into the spirit of Singles' Day don't plan to stay single forever. Blind date parties on November 11th are especially popular, as are more generic Singles Day parties, where singles can mingle, and hopefully find love.
China Daily also offers advice for those who are single, in the aptly titled article from 2006, "Single? Don't worry, be happy!“Among the nuggets of wisdom:
"The most important thing is to take time to relax and make yourself more beautiful."
"Since you're a single girl, you have the weekend to yourself, unlike those housewives immersed in housework."
"Whatever the reason, studying can help fill your time if you don't have a boyfriend."
"If you haven't got a fitness plan, you'd better get one in a hurry."
"Sometimes you may feel lonely if you live on your own. How about keeping a cat or a dog? If you love your pet, it will love you. Most importantly, pets are loyal, unlike some men."
I don't know if this advice would make me happy about being single, and a fun Singles Day party definitely sounds like a better option than studying or making myself more beautiful. In any case, whether you're starting a fitness plan, or starting the search for Mr./Mrs. Right, have a happy, fulfilling Singles' Day!
Creative Singles Day
Singles Day falls on every November 11th, and as the name indicates, this relatively new holiday is one exclusively for people who are still living the single life. I was a bit surprised when I googled 'Singles Day' on the Internet, to find that China is the only country in the world that has set aside a special day for singles to celebrate their lives. To find out more about this celebration, read on.
Origin of Singles Day
Betting
An old story goes that once there were four single men, leading very boring lives. None of them were married, or had lovers, or did anything exciting. They just sat around all day and played Mahjong.
One day they played Mahjong from 11 in the morning until 11 at night. During the game, no matter who won, the winning card was always the 'four columns' card (the card shows four independent, parallel columns in two lines). Even more of a coincidence, it was Nov 11, or 11/11. In order to commemorate the day, they nicknamed it Singles Day.
University culture
Singles Day was first celebrated at various universities in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu Province during the 1990s. It got the name Singles Day because the date is comprised of four "ones". These college students have since graduated, and carried their university tradition into society. Singles Day is now a special day for all fashionable youths.
The main way to celebrate Singles Day is to have dinner with your single friends, but it's important that each person pay their own way to show their independence. People also hold 'blind date' parties in an attempt to bid goodbye to their single lives.
Creative celebration
For breakfast on Singles Day, singles often eat four youtiao (deep-fried dough sticks) representing the four "ones" in "11.11" and one baozi (steamed stuffed buns) representing the middle dot.
Many singles also choose to say goodbye to their single lives on this day. Many attend 'blind date' parties and many people choose to marry on this day. In addition to meaning 'single' the four 'ones' of the date can also mean 'only one' as in 'the only one for me.' Some people will use this date and this meaning to tell their special someone that they are the only 'one' in their heart.
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