In recent years, Guanggun Jie' ('bachelors day') is being widely acknowledged and celebrated by youngsters in China, becoming a day of promotion sales, school celebrations and more. It is also intensifying discussions concerning modern marriage and dating issues. It is celebrated on 11/11 as '1' stands for 'single'. This year, the festive day is called 'the Guanggun Jie of the century' - 11/11/11. The following article is an edit of one of many Chinese media articles, expounding on the social meaning of this rare date.
2011年11月11日,"6个1"齐聚，百年一遇，成就一个巨大的"世纪光棍节[1]"。连日来，"大光棍节"已成一种文化符号，传递各种价值元素[2]，情感的、文化的、经济的、社会的。
光棍是特殊又庞大的社会人群。他们的情感、尊严、权利，不应忽视，也无法忽视。过去，光棍主要指没有老婆的男人。现在，也包括"女光棍"[3]。不论男人还是女人，只要是单身[4]，都是缺少爱和温暖。据说，"女光棍"比起"男光棍"心灵更悲怆[5]，压力更大。
每一天，都有寻找爱情的痴男怨女[6]。最近，电视剧《男人帮》[7]很火，因为太多人需要情感导师[8]；电影《失恋33天》[9]很火，因为太多人想找到情爱迷路[10]的出口。
"细节打败爱情"[11]，《裸婚[12]时代》里这句经典词。"细节打败爱情"，为什么会出现那么多打败爱情的细节？可能与政治、经济、文化、社会等等有关。比如，房子给中国人捆绑[13]了无数的爱情。这样的细节在文化、法治、社会等各个领域还有很多。
爱情是这世间最珍贵[14]的情感，而我们生活在爱情被弱化[15]的年代。爱情是婚姻的基础，是维持婚姻的动力。关爱光棍，关注光棍节，就是要明白，到底拿什么来救爱情。归根结底[16]，一个真正尊重人性、尊严、权利的社会，不应该滋生出太多打败爱情的细节，而应该让有共同文化价值[17]的人，能迅速找到自己的同类。
'Bachelors are invincible', a modern-retro satiric 'Bachelor day' poster
11/11/2011; six '1' gather together, this happens once every century, making this day the gigantic 'Bachelor Day' of the century. For the last few days, the 'big festive Bachelor Day' has already become a cultural symbol, delivering various kinds of valuable elements: emotional, cultural, economic, social, etc.
Bachelors are a peculiar, yet huge group of society. Their feelings, honor and rights shouldn't be ignored and there is actually no way to ignore them. In the past, 'bachelors' referred mainly to unmarried men. Nowadays, this term also includes 'single women'. Single men or women are both 'guang gun'; as long as one is single, he/she is lacking love and warmth. It is said that single women are more mournful than single men, as well as feel bigger pressure.
Everyday there are men and women who don't manage to fulfill their passions and are seeking for love. Recently, the TV show "Nanren Bang" ('men's clique') is popular, since many people need 'love guidance'; the movie "Shilian 33 Tian" ('to lose love in 33 days') is hot, since many people wish to find an exit when getting lost in love. In this age of 'naked marriage' (luohun), the phrase 'details defeat love' is becoming a classic expression.
'Details defeat love' - How come there are so many details (referring mainly to daily life issues or big life necessities) defeating love? Maybe this has to do with politics, economy, culture, society, and more factors. For example, apartments bind Chinese to countless love.
Love is the most precious emotion, yet we are living in an age when love is weakened. Love is the foundation of marriage, the force that preserves marriage. Those who are concerned about bachelors and follow Bachelors Day want to understand how, after all, love can be saved. In the final analysis, a society that genuinely respects human nature, dignity and rights shouldn't create so many 'details' that defeat love, and should rather enable people of similar cultural value to find each other rapidly.
Original article published by 红网 rednet.cn
[1] 光棍节 guāng gùn jié - 'Bachelor Day'; a modern holiday celebrated on November 11, celebrated by youngsters throughout China.
[2] 元素 yuánsù - Element
[3] "女光棍" nǚ guāng gùn - Women bachelors, single women
[4] 单身 dānshēn - Single
[5] 悲怆 bēi chuàng - Mournful
[6] 痴男怨女 chī nán yuàn nǚ - Young men and women, who are in-love but cannot realize their desires
[7] 《男人帮》nánrén bāng - 'Men clique', a new popular TV show, showing the amusing difficulties of men within romantic relationships (read more about the show here).
[8] 情感导师 qínggǎn dǎoshī- Emotion/love guidance
[9] 《失恋33天》shī liàn 33 tiān - 'Lose love in 33 days', a new popular Chinese film
[10] 情爱迷路 qíng ài mí lù - Getting lost within love
[11] "细节打败爱情" xìjié dǎbài àiqíng - 'Details defeat love', a saying referring to the fact that in modern China socioeconomic burdens prevent people from realizing their loves.
[12] 裸婚 luǒ hūn - 'Naked marriage'; a contemporary term, referring to young Chinese who prefer to marry before having a financial foundation, since they don't wish to delay their love. Read more about it here.
[13] 捆绑 kǔnbǎng - Bind
[14] 珍贵 zhēnguì - Precious
[15] 弱化 ruòhuà - Weaken
[16]归根结底 guī gēn jié dǐ - In the final analysis
[17] 共同文化价值 gòngtóng wénhuà jiàzhí - Similar cultural value (people of similar cultural background and values)
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