Lucky days

Yesterday during our grammar lesson at the university we could barely hear out teacher, due to people setting off fireworks around the city. In most Chinese cities, it's prohibited to set off fireworks, except for during festivals like CNY or the National Day. Suzhou is an exception. A very unfortunate exception. Here fireworks are allowed any time of the year and you can just imagine what it is like because Chinese people looooove fireworks... (And I don't. Listening to them more or less five times a week can get tiring).

Yesterday, however, was intense. There were even more fireworks than usual and we were scratching our heads trying to figure out if it was a special day or something, until out teacher told us:

“It’s the 16th of the 6th month… Chinese people believe that the number six is very lucky, so today many people are setting off fireworks, and ever more people are getting married!”

Getting married? On a Monday?!?!

Yup. Apparently so. Don’t question lucky days.

This makes me wonder how many people that got married on the 6th of June… (which also happens to be Sweden’s National Day… aren’t we a lucky bunch?!) not to mention what it’s going to be like on the 8th of August… Except for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing, I believe wedding bells will be ringing like no other day.