Artigenda
Single’s Day
When: Annually, November 11.
Bachelor’s Day is familiar to most people as Single’s Day or Guanggun Jie. This is an originally Chinese day that has now also become popular in the West. The day takes place on November 11. It is a day mainly dedicated to (online) shopping.
It’s not by chance that Single’s Day is on November 11. It’s the eleventh month and the eleventh day of that month, i.e. 11/11. The numbers one represent “being alone” or being single. Something that is capitalized in webshops over the last years. Still, the idea for this day wasn’t from the webshops. Single’s Day originates in the offline world.
Origin
The idea for Single’s Day came from an event that took place in 1993 at Nanking University. Therefore, one would assume that this is an education-related day. Yet this is not quite the case. This was because the idea wasn’t related to education. The idea was to do something for everyone without a partner that year. This would all take place on the day when a group would graduate. As long as one did not have a partner after graduation, this tradition would continue after graduation.
Because of the population composition in China, it occurred that it was mainly men who paid attention to this day. Back then, it was still called Bachelor’s Day. That only had too many ties to a (university) study. Not every bachelor had that connection. Besides, not every bachelor had graduated or was pursuing studies. By the way, it would later become clear that not only young men wanted to pay attention to this topic. There was, however, another problem. Not everyone felt the desire to pay tribute to this day. On Bachelor’s Day people were supposed to go on blind dates. Not everyone was interested in doing this. The pressure became too much and hence the aversion to the original idea also became very strong.
November 11, 2011
The day changed on November 11, 2011. Not only did that become the Bachelor’s Day of the Century, because of the special date (11-11-11). It was also supposed to be a turning point. Instead of focusing on a forced attempt at making relationships, the day was supposed to be celebrating being single. Recognising that sometimes it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Sometimes it’s a conscious choice. In other cases, it’s a matter of seeing what comes. When it comes. Without pressure. In yet other cases, it may also be that it’s not a matter of those standard patterns to be followed. Although there is not much emphasis on that initially in China.
Of course, the basis for this day is the wishes of heterosexual men who all wanted a relationship with a woman. Only that’s not how the world works. Everyone knows that. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and we all know that love cannot be forced. Besides, there is more than just a heterosexual relationship.
Outside China
It was originally a day celebrated in China. By now, the day is also known outside that country and people in other countries also pay attention to Single’s Day or Bachelor’s Day. In doing so, several large online shops have cleverly used the event. They show that, as a bachelor, it is best to think of yourself on this day. Therefore, they offer all kinds of interesting offers. For this, as for other holidays: check carefully whether an offer is an offer.
