Chinese couples eager to wed on 12/12/12

Chinese couples rushed to tie the knot on Wednesday, believing the day to be an auspicious one, as the date sounds like a promise of love when said in Chinese.

Long lines have formed at marriage registration offices in many Chinese cities, with couples eager to get their marriage certificates on Dec. 12, 2012, or 12/12/12, which sounds like "will love/will love/will love" in Chinese.

About 2,000 couples are expected to obtain marriage registration certificates on Wednesday in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province. Additional staff were on hand to help with registration work, and marriage registration office hours could be extended to accommodate all the couples waiting in line.

Zhao Chunming, a bank employee in Beijing, had planned to marry his girlfriend this summer, but friends persuaded him to wait until 12/12/12.

"I imagined how crowded the registration office would be on Dec. 12, but getting married is such a big thing for us and we hope the lucky day will bring happiness to our marriage," Zhao said.

Younger generations of Chinese are becoming more picky about marriage registration dates. Aside from Dec. 12 and Valentine's Day, Oct. 10, 2010 (10/10/10) and Nov. 11, 2011 (11/11/11) were also among the most preferred days in recent years, as the combination of figures were deemed "special" by many young couples.

Couples are expected to flock to marriage registration offices on Jan. 4, 2013, which sounds similar to "love you forever" in Chinese.

In Changchun, many hotels were booked for wedding ceremonies on Wednesday, with more calls coming in from couples hoping to hold their weddings on Jan. 4, 2013.

"Many couples even want to pay more to hold their weddings on these two dates," said a hotel manager surnamed Zhang in Changchun.

Wang Zhe, director of the Chaoyang District marriage registration office in Changchun, did not see the necessity in marrying on these so-called "lucky dates."

"For those couples, every day is a lucky day to get married and it will be the most unforgettable day of their lives," Wang said.