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Singles' Day

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Singles Day
Observed byChinese
TypeInternational
SignificanceDay for singles to celebrate and socialize
Celebrationseat youtiao, festivals, clubs/bar
DateNovember 11
Related toQi Xi

Singles Day or Guang Gun Jie (Chinese: 光棍节 Pin Yin: guang gun jie; literally: bare sticks holiday) is a Chinese pop culture holiday on November 11 for people who are still living the single life.

Origins

University culture

Singles' Day (The apostrophe of which is often carelessly omitted) 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 consists 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.

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.

In episode 6 of The Apprentice (UK Series Four), team Renaissance decided to make a range of themed greeting cards revolving around National Singles Day[1], which met mixed success from buyers Clinton Cards, Celebrations and Tesco.

References

  1. ^ Episode 6 Synopsis at BBC Apprentice Microsite
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