From birthdays to Valentine’s Day, there are endless opportunities to express your feelings with a well-considered gift for someone you care about. But where’s the holiday where you get to celebrate yourself with a special gift? It’s called Singles’ Day, and it’s about to become your new favorite November holiday!
Despite the name, whether you’re single, dating, or married, Singles’ Day is a chance for you to treat yourself to a true self-care experience. Discover the origin of Singles’ Day, its meaning today, and how you can celebrate in an unforgettable way.
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What is Singles’ Day?
By many accounts, the story of Singles’ Day began in 1993 at Nanjing University in China, where students decided to create a holiday that celebrated being unattached in relationships. For the next few years, the day grew to include the act of giving yourself a gift, as opposed to holidays around the world like Valentine’s Day, which focused on giving gifts to your partner. For those tired of the single life, the occasion is a way to mark their determination to start a relationship, thus celebrating their last Singles’ Day ever.
In 2009, the Chinese company Alibaba began marketing Singles’ Day as an online shopping day for singles—or non-singles—to shop for themselves. Today, Singles’ Day is the biggest shopping day of the year, making more money in sales than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. With unbeatable discounts and sales galore, it’s a great chance for shoppers to make that big purchase just for themselves!
When is Singles’ Day?
Singles’ Day falls on November 11th every year. According to Chinese tradition, the 1-1-1-1 date stands for four guānggùn—bare sticks that resemble unmarried men. Online, the holiday is often called Double Eleven as an easy-to-remember nickname.
While Singles’ Day deals and celebrations used to happen on 11/11 exclusively, many companies stretch the savings to days and weeks beforehand. You may find Double Eleven deals starting before Halloween and have your items delivered before Singles’ Day officially begins!
How to celebrate Singles’ Day
Singles’ Day is an opportunity to celebrate your unmarried status, major discounts on your favorite brands, or both! Find the perfect way to spend 11/11 this year, whether it’s with your single friends or a single credit card.
Shop for your favorites or those big purchases you’ve been postponing
The essence of Singles’ Day is to spend money on yourself, so that’s a great place to start! Spend some time online stocking up on your favorite products for ample self-care all year long, or keep a lookout for Double Eleven sales on that big purchase you’ve been waiting to make (hello, 80-inch TV).
Pick out a new outfit, put some money down on that online-only smartphone deal, or score a deal on a jersey with your favorite player’s number. Think of what you’d love to receive from others, and use that list as your Singles’ Day guide!
Gift yourself the gift of learning a new language
Singles’ Day takes place just three weeks before December, which is National Learn a Foreign Language Month. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to give yourself the gift of growth by expanding your cultural connections.
With Rosetta Stone Sapphire, you can switch between all 25 languages offered with every subscription. So, you’re not limiting yourself to learning just one language at a time! And once you’re confident in a new language, maybe next year’s Singles’ Day gift can be a trip to a new country.
Take a solo trip
Singles’ Day is a wonderful opportunity to take that solo trip you’ve always dreamed about. It doesn’t have to be a backpacking trip across Europe (although it can be!)—a quick road trip to a hotel in a neighboring town might be the Singles’ Day refresher you’re looking for.
To experience Singles’ Day in its native land, consider taking a trip to China! You can join in the festivities, which include in-person shopping excursions, mass weddings, and parties.
Eat traditional Singles’ Day foods
Singles’ Day may be a more modern holiday, but it’s still got timeless traditions that celebrants love to observe. Prepare for the occasion by buying youtiao—fried dough sticks that resemble the 1-1-1-1 in the Singles’ Day—and other 1-shaped foods that dinner guests would enjoy.
You can also lean into the “single” part of Singles’ Day with individual servings of your favorite foods, such as personal pan pizzas or microwave-mug brownies. And to really get into the Double Eleven spirit, take yourself out to dinner and order anything off the menu!
Get together with single friends
Celebrating singleness on Singles’ Day doesn’t mean you have to be alone! Host a brunch, dinner, or movie night with your single friends to enjoy that unattached period in your lives and share the gifts you bought yourselves.
If this Singles’ Day signals the chance for you to make a new connection, consider inviting guests and their single friends to a Singles Mixer. You’ll meet new people and enjoy that Double Eleven outfit you bought online all at once.
Use Chinese words to talk about Singles’ Day
Although Singles’ Day is now an international e-commerce event, its Chinese roots appear in much of the terminology surrounding it. Learn how to say Singles’ Day in Mandarin Chinese, as well as other cultural terms regarding singleness, shopping, and the celebration of self.
- 光棍节 (Guānggùn jié): Singles’ Day
- 双十一 (Shuāng Shíyī): Double Eleven
- 光棍节 (Guānggùnjié): Bare Branches (Double Eleven) Festival
- 光棍 (guānggùn): Bachelor
- 吃土 (chītǔ): eating dirt (being too broke after shopping to afford food)
- 剁手节/剁手節 (Duòshǒu Jié): Hand-Chopping Festival (a festival for shopaholics)
More shopping holidays on the calendar
Don’t be bummed if you missed 11/11. You’ll find plenty of other discount opportunities on the calendar—even beyond Black Friday and Cyber Monday!
- Third Saturday of January: National Use Your Gift Card Day
- May 22: Buy a Musical Instrument Day
- July 2: Made in the USA Day
- Second Week of August: National Bargain Hunting Week
- August 18: National Mail Order Catalog Day
- First Monday of October: National Consignment Day
- Fourth Friday of November: Black Friday
- Fourth Saturday of November: Small Business Saturday
- Monday after Thanksgiving: Cyber Monday
Singles’ Day vs. National Singles Day
It’s a complete coincidence that there’s not just one Singles Day, but two! National Singles Day (also known as Singles Awareness Day) in the United States falls on February 15th. It celebrates being unattached in a relationship immediately after Valentine’s Day on February 14th. While you can also buy yourself gifts on National Singles Day, it doesn’t focus on online shopping as heavily as Singles’ Day, and it isn’t considered an international commerce event.
Wish yourself a happy Singles’ Day with a special gift
On Singles ‘Day, one doesn’t have to be the loneliest number. Whether you’re investing in a new laptop, a new relationship, or a new language, you’ll find everything you need in the vast cybermall that’s just clicks away! Celebrate the true meaning of Singles’ Day by learning how to take care of yourself, including learning a new language by yourself, before the holiday season gets into full swing.
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