Couples register for marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau in Shapingba district, Southwest China's Chongqing on February 14, 2022. Photo: VCG

Fewer couples in Chinese cities like Shanghai and Hangzhou have registered for marriage on this year's Saint Valentine's Day than on February 22 because many couples believe it will be "a day full of love" as the number 2 sounds like "love" in Chinese. 

On Monday, Valentine's Day, 945 couples in Shanghai registered their marriages, while 1,955 had made reservations for marriage for February 22, according to media reports citing data from the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.

Saint Valentine's Day has always been a popular date for couples to register for marriage as they look for an auspicious day for love and good luck. But this year, it has faced an unexpected chill. "Who wants to go after February 14 when you have a super good date on February 22, 2022?  After all, it is for commemoration, so it is natural to choose the best day," one netizen posted on social media.

When some couples are looking for a lucky number, some do not care. "It does not matter which day you register for marriage, what matters is the quality of your life after marriage," another netizen wrote.  

In Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, the situation is quite similar as in Shanghai. In Hangzhou's Gongshu district alone, 90 couples made a reservation for Monday compared to 180 couples that booked February 22, according to local media. However, the number of reservations was still relatively high on Monday, compared with ordinary days.

In 2020, 512 couples in Shanghai booked their marriage registration on Valentine's Day due to the COVID-19 epidemic, according to media reports. The marriage registration centers in Shanghai did not open on Valentine's Day last year.