Singles Day
Singles’ Day is a holiday observed annually on the 11th of November. It’s a Chinese holiday also known as Double 11 Day. In China, it’s a significant commercial holiday that allows people to take pride in being single. It celebrates single life and was once known as Bachelors’ Day.
The date of this holiday was chosen because the number 1 resembles a bare stick — which is Chinese internet slang for an unmarried man who does not add to the family tree. Even though this holiday celebrates “single life,” it also happens to be the most popular day of the year in China for couples to get married.
The History of Singles’ Day in China
According to a popular story, this holiday was created by four male students at Nanjing University in 1993. They chose November 11th because the date 11/11 consists of four ones, which represent them as four single men.
As single men, they felt they didn’t have all the fun activities that couples do, so they decided to create a day full of entertainment, fun, and games geared exclusively toward single people. This holiday is the date they created.
Facts About Singles’ Day in China
Since we’re not entirely sure we’ve covered the intricate details of Singles’ Day in China, we thought we’d take a few moments to cover some of the basics about it below. It’s our sincere hope that the following tidbits of information will shed a little more light on this holiday and how it’s observed in China.
- Singles’ Day isn’t an officially recognized holiday in China.
- This day is the largest online and offline shopping day in the world.
- In 2013, Singles’ Day generated almost $6 billion in sales, and in 2014, over $9 billion in sales.
- Alibaba Group Holding Limited, a Chinese multinational company specializing in e-commerce, internet, retail, and technology, hosts a Singles’ Day Gala every year.
- The symbolism behind this holiday is as follows: The “1” symbolizes a single person, the “11” symbolizes two singles coming together on a date.
- Thanks to the internet, Singles’ Day is now observed in other countries as well.
- Singles’ Day is particularly popular in Indonesia.
- In the United Kingdom, Singles’ Day is observed on the 11th of March and is called National Singles Day.
Observing Singles Day in China
In China, Singles Day is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. It’s also a time when many people throw blind date parties to meet other singles. Universities across the country organize special performances and concerts.
Some people decide to forgo these group activities and instead go out to eat alone or watch movies. Although this is specifically a Chinese holiday, that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed by anyone anywhere in the world. After all, this is a day when people take pride in their single life and engage in activities they find enjoyable.
