Multiple Chinese cities include Tianjin have announced that they will work overtime on Qixi Festival, or the Chinese Valentine's Day, falling on Saturday this year, to accommodate more couples seeking to register their marriages on the auspicious day, with some initiatives introduced, such as offering special gift packages and organizing group wedding ceremonies.
Some of the marriage registration offices, including those in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, and Shanghai, have already filled up their online reservation slots. Civil affairs authorities in Suzhou announced that couples can also wait in line onsite to conduct relevant procedures.
Local civil affairs authorities encourage marriage registration offices to meet the needs of the public and carry out related services, but there are no specific mandatory regulations, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Monday, in response to a netizen's question about whether marriage registration can be conducted on this year's Qixi Festival, which falls on a Saturday.
