Happy 11.11.11

Today is 11.11.11. It happens once in a century. According to the Chinese pop culture, 11.11 is also known as the 'Singles Day', 'One's Day' or 'Guang Gun Jie' (光棍节; pinyin: guāng gùn jié). This is the Chinese pop culture holiday for people who are still living the single life.

Singles' Day was initially celebrated at various universities in Nanjing, literally the southern capital city (of China), during the 1990s, and originated from Nanjing University in 1993. It got the name Singles Day because the date consists of four "ones". These college students have since graduated, and carried the university tradition into society. The Singles Day has been largely popularized in the Internet era and 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.


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 bun) representing the middle dot.


Some 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.


I know that many people would have their wedding on today as it is a memorable day for having six "1". Anyway, I am wishing all of you to have a Happy 11.11.11. May God bless you all have a Peace World. :)