Chinese couples flock to last big ‘love day’ for 200 years to get married
- Couples pick February 22 as the date contains many twos and the number is pronounced as ‘er’ in Mandarin, similar to the sound of the word for love
- The next big ‘love day’, as the date is known, will not fall for another 200 years
A remarkable increase in couples across mainland China have planned to register their marriages on Tuesday, February 22 as they believe it is what is known as a love day in China, and the next “love day” will not fall for another 200 years.
The logic behind this is that the date contains many twos and the number is pronounced as “er” in Mandarin, similar to the word love, “ai”.
What makes the date even more special is that it’s the 22nd day of the first month of this year according to the Chinese lunar calendar, and falls on a Tuesday, adding another two.
Since many couples believe this year’s February 22 is “the best day to marry in hundreds of years”, they have shunned Valentine’s Day, a traditional peak date to tie the knot.
In Beijing, a week ago, 4,745 couples booked for marriage registration on February 22, doubling that number booked for this year’s Valentine’s Day, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.