Happy Single's Day

November 11th (11/11) is celebrated by young Chinese as "Single's Day" (光棍节). This "holiday" came about on university campuses in the early 1990s as an excuse for singles to get together and party, set up blind date events, or just take comfort in their own singleness. In China, being single and in your mid-20s, especially for females, is seen as a negative and causes them to face a lot of pressure from parents, relatives, and friends. It's an excuse for 20-somethings (in most cases) to go out and have fun or possibly find a mate. It's also part of the desire to "own" singledom and stand up in the face of all the pressure from those around them.

In China, a trend of marrying later, especially in cities, has been going on for the past 10 years or so. For some, this is a personal choice that they take pride in, for them, this day is a day of celebration and fun. For those who would prefer to succumb to familial pressure and get married, there are plenty of meet-up events in major cities offering the chance to meet that special someone. These two ways of celebrating Single's Day shows the interesting differences in young culture in China. So if you're still single, have a great Single's Day! If you're in China, we'd love to hear how you "celebrated" this "holiday".