Auspicious Wedding Dates Edit
1000s Register for Beijing Olympic Weddings

First there were Chinese parents registering their babies with Olympic-themed names, and now people are scrambling to set their wedding date for August 8, 2008, the day of the opening ceremonies in Beijing.

Over 1,000 couples lined up on Friday to register to wed on the day; it was the first day registration opened for August 8. In addition to being a huge national milestone, the number 8 is considered lucky in China, specially, it’s thought to bring financial wealth.

“Chinese people are keen to tie the knot on an auspicious date,” Xinhua news agency added. “The opening date of the Olympics adds new meaning.

“Marriage registration offices in Beijing predict more than 9,000 couples will get married on August 8 this year,” it said.

Top 6 Baby Naming Oddities + 3,500 Chinese Parents Name Kids “Olympics” (SUPER GALLERY)

“Hi, my name is Olympics, what’s yours?” Though it’s tough to imagine, there are thousands of Chinese children who could be saying those very words one day. Nearly 3,500 children were named in honour of… [More]

We’ve also seen the Chinese name their babies after natural disasters:

Disaster Baby Naming - Chinese Earthquake Names (VIDEO)

After being struck by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake earlier this month, millions of people in China are still dealing with its toll. People are mourning in different ways, with many choosing to honour the… [More]