A Good Day for Divorce?

According to Chinese tradition, the date of one's wedding should be a lucky day, such as 6th, 8th, 16th and the like, for these numbers in Chinese are homonyms for smooth going or making a fortune. Nowadays, more and more divorces are handled on these days also.

Mr. Zhang and Ms. Cao got married on August 8th, 1991, for they both considered it was a propitious day and would represent the happy life after the wedding. However, life after the wedding was not as good as they expected and trivial disputes often led to major quarrels. They realized that the gap was too big and it was impossible for them to live together. After careful consideration, they went to the local court to get divorced on June 6th this year, which is also considered a lucky date due to the Chinese meaning of double six, that is, everything is going smoothly.

On June 6th, 15 divorces based on mutual agreement were handled in the local court in Xicheng District. Among the fifteen cases, there were four couples who deliberately chose that special day in the hope of being happy in the future upon the ending of the painful experience caused by the divorce. According to judges who preside over such cases, people's attitudes have changed in recent years. Divorce used to be considered as the beginning of an unhappy life. Now people have a cooler attitude toward divorce, and believe they will find a new life and new opportunities for happiness. In order to seek the best possible luck, they prefer to choose a traditional Chinese good day to mark the date.

(Xinhua New Agency 06/18/2001)



In This Series

New Elements in the Revised Marriage Law

More Chinese Looking for Quality Marriage

Youngsters Still Cherish Marriage

Half of Chinese Advocate Restriction on Rising Divorces

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