One is the loneliest number: 11/11 is Singles' Day

Singletons rejoice! Crack out the champagne and chocolate because today is the anti-Valentines day - it's singles day in China. As you know, one is the loneliest number and today is 11/11: four singles smack together, representing all the single folk out there. We think this day calls for a celebration, so we're going to treat ourselves to dinner!

20 years ago, some university students in Nanjing cooked up the idea to celebrate singles day and the idea has since become an annual tradition among the young and lonely in China. Naturally, flower and chocolate sales have been on the rise, but so have cards that play songs "suitable for singles." We admit, it would be pretty awesome to be serenaded with Celine Dion's "all by myself" from a card.

If sitting at home watching When Harry Met Sally sounds too depressing tonight, you can join the desperate throngs trying to meet someone at one of the many blind-date parties and match-making events going on. And if you find yourself even thinking of going to one, the Global Times has some salient advice that you might want to read before hand.

If you're a single man, then you might be in trouble. There's 30 million extra men in China these days, so unless you're Liu Xiang, the number one diamond bachelor in China, the competition for a girlfriend is fierce. Or you could follow Zhang Haiyan's outlook "single is simple; double is trouble."

Happy singles day everybody ! We hope you have fun celebrating in whatever manner you choose.

Photo from Sina