Couples in Beijing who are hoping to get hitched on August 8, considered the luckiest day of the year by many Chinese people, can now go to local affair bureaus in their district to book the day for their marriage registration, according to an article on CRI Online.
The reservation period is June 20- August 5, during which all the marriage registration bureaus in Beijing have a special service for booking to dengji (register) for marriage certificates on August 8, 2008. Brides and grooms-to-be can go to the bureaus during this time and submit photocopies of requested documents and photos, then return on August 8 and sign the marriage certificates. This way, the procedure only takes 1-2 minutes for each couple to get their marriage certificates. The local affair bureaus are expecting to process 50-100 pairs of newly weds per hour on August 8.
“8” is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture, therefore the date of 08/08/ 2008 is extremely attractive for Chinese couples who are wishing for a happily ever after. Besides, the big opening of Beijing Olympics will be held on this day, which makes getting married on the same day even more meaningful. Nonetheless, the article mentioned that an official at Beijing Local Affair Bureau kindly reminded the prospective couples that a successful marriage does not depend on a “lucky” date for the wedding, expressing her wish that couples consider this important step in their life rationally.
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