Singles’ Day being celebrated today

KATHMANDU: Singles’ Day, also known as Double 11, is a Chinese unofficial holiday and shopping season that celebrates people who are not in relationships.

Singles Day is celebrated on Nov 11 (today). It began as a celebration of being single, with single students at China’s Nanjing University choosing Nov 11 (as 11/11 looks like a group of sticks) to celebrate rather than lament their lack of a partner.

It quickly became a fun, unofficial holiday in which single people all over China treat themselves to nice dinners and splurge on items they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves.

Singles’ Day is celebrated with great pomp and circumstance in China. People in cities like Beijing and Shanghai enjoy a hearty meal with their friends and family. Some people enjoy

Date:

The day is observed on Nov 11 as of the way the date appears when written. One is a Chinese slang term for a man who does not add more members to his family and thus is single. When written, Nov 11 looks like four sticks, and thus denotes single people. That is why Nov 11 was chosen as the date to commemorate the day.

History:

Singles’ Day was created as a mockery of people in relationships. However, it quickly evolved into a day to honor friendship and oneself. People began to learn how to love themselves and make themselves happy. A small group of college students created Singles’ Day as a sarcastic response to couple-centric festivals celebrated around the world. However, in 2009, Alibaba’s CEO, Daniel Zhang, began utilizing the day as a 24-hour shopping festival. The day is now recognized as the largest retail and online shopping day of the year.

Significance:

The purpose of the day is to spread the concept of happiness. Regardless of your relationship status, it is critical to love yourself and value your friendships. People celebrate the joy of being alone with themselves by treating themselves to luxurious vacations, gifts, and services on this day.