Single Day in China, what it is and why it is celebrated today

Every year on November 11th we celebrate what in Chinese is called Guanggun Jie: a day that celebrates the pride of being single. Many events are organized in the Asian country on this date, including demonstrations, karaoke and dinners. Furthermore, many couples choose to get married on this particular day. And in recent years the date - which is also catching on outside China - has also become a Shopping Festival, with discounts on everything

Today, November 11th, Singles Day is celebrated in China, called Guanggun Jie in Chinese. It is a very heartfelt celebration, especially among the very young, which celebrates the pride of being single. It always falls on the same day every year and it is no coincidence: numerically, in fact, this date translates into 11/11 and in Chinese tradition the number 1 identifies a single individual. What better date, than one that contains four times 1, to best express the joy of being single? The holiday was born in 1993, created by a group of students from Nanjing University in contrast with Valentine's Day. It soon spread throughout the country and is also deeply felt by Chinese people living abroad.

In the Asian country, November 11th is a date to celebrate. Each city has its related events: there are events, parties, dinners, aperitifs, lots of karaoke and numerous initiatives. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to party that does not only concern singles, even if they are the real protagonists. Despite having been introduced relatively recently compared to older holidays, this day is very well known in China. Every year, except during the period in which the Coronavirus emergency forced everyone to stay at home, tens of thousands of people take to the streets and clubs to show off their pride as single people. But that's not all, because in an almost paradoxical way, for some years now, November 11th has become one of the most sought-after dates for celebrating weddings in China.

And if on Singles' Day there are those who get married, there is no shortage of those who prefer to dedicate themselves to other activities. Like shopping. November 11th in China has become what Black Friday represents for us. The date, in fact, has now become a Shopping Festival after Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, sensed a marketing and economic opportunity: on this day (but in reality also on nearby ones) you can find discounts and offers on anything. It seems that Daniel Zhang, current CEO of Alibaba, had the idea of ​​linking Single Day to purchases: when he was at the top of the Taobao Mall platform (a sort of Amazon) managed by Alibaba Group, he noticed that business in the month of November was slow while waiting for Christmas shopping and for this reason he thought of a solution to increase sales. An idea that has proven successful over time, given the success it has had. And over the years, Single Day has transformed into a global event, which also involves many foreign brands inside and outside China. Its popularity is also increasing in Italy and in our country too there is no shortage of events, offers and promotions.

November 11th as a day of celebration for singles has now left the borders of China. Singles Day is now also known in several Western countries, including Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In Europe, however, it is not a real traditional holiday as it has now become in China: it is more of a date to be used for promotions and commercial initiatives similar to Black Friday but dedicated to singles.