Couples rush to get wed to avoid losing their holidays
Print Edition
HUNDREDS of “older” couples rushed to register their marriages before the end of the year so as not to miss out on an extended marriage leave entitlement that has been withdrawn from today.
In China, all newlyweds are given three days’ leave after tying the knot, but those aged above the “late marriage” ages — 25 for men and 23 for women — also used to get extra days.
The number of extra days varied from city to city. In Shanghai it was seven. From today, however, the extra entitlement no longer applies and all couples will get the basic three days.
As a result, 2,846 couples said “I do” at the city’s marriage registration centers yesterday, or about nine times the usual figure, officials at the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau said.
Officials at the Yangpu District Marriage Registration Center said they processed 231 marriages yesterday and 247 on Wednesday, a huge increase on the usual daily figure of between 30 and 40.
The rush has nothing to do with the end of the year, but simply the rule change, Yu Weiting, the center’s director, told Shanghai Daily.
On the final day of 2014, the center handled only about 50 couples, he said.
“Most people changed their plans after hearing they’d miss out if they didn’t marry before the year’s end,” Yu said.
It was a similar story at the marriage registration center in Xuhui District, which welcomed more than 100 couples yesterday morning, about three times the usual number.
Martin Jian, 26, said he and his fiancee arrived at the Huangpu District center about 10am yesterday only to find there were already 85 couples ahead of them in the queue.
“My girlfriend and I planned to register in the spring, but we learnt about the new policy last night so we came down this morning,” he said.
The couple had to wait for about 90 minutes before getting to see an official, he said.
It was a similar story for Ruby Cai, 25, and her fiance who went to the Zhabei District marriage center yesterday morning.
“We planned to tie the knot on February 15, but the cancelation of the leave entitlement made us change mind and catch the ‘last bus,’” she said.
She said they were lucky to get a slot yesterday as most of them were quickly snapped up after people found out about the changes to the regulations on vacation entitlements.
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