Are you confused by the “520” decorations on the streets and in shops? Have you been wondering what the heart-shaped balloons and roses are all about?
Maybe you’re confused what time of the year it is….is it February 14th?
What exactly is 520?
May the 20th, aka 520 day, is now an Internet Valentine’s Day. It’s a festival celebrating love in the digital age, giving people another day to declare their love.
If you receive a message on May 20th it means you are lucky!!!
This 520-day concept is originally from a pop song called ‘Digital Love’ by a Taiwanese singer Xiaoxuan Fan.
It’s a song about a girl who shows her affection by pressing the numbers on her phone. The idea here is that 520 (wǔ èr ling) sounds a little similar to 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), “I love you” in Chinese.
521 (wǔ èr yī) also has a similar pronunciation to 我愿意 (wǒ yuàn yì), “yes I do” in Chinese.
Some Chinese people are often not good at expressing their feelings, especially their love. The youth today like to use this kind of passive way to express their feelings and love to their family and partners.
On 520, people feel more confident and safe to show their love digitally. Some couples may exchange gifts but often times the men are giving women gifts. Don’t be surprised by how many proposals you see popping up out of the blue as the most popular thing to do on 520 is propose or register for a marriage certificate with the date 520.
For those who receive a 520 message and are unsure of how to respond, just send a “521” reply, and enjoy a fun date!
For those who are single but have no one in mind to send a 520 message to, don’t lose hope! 520 is also the perfect day to love yourself!
There will be plenty of discounts and promotional activities from business all over China on May 17-21th. Get your wallets (by wallet, we mean your WeChat wallet) ready and dive into retail therapy (or the pizza).
For those who are single but maybe have someone in your heart, don’t hesitate!
Message/call/tweet them “520” If they don’t understand what 520 means, send this article to them!!! (Next year you’ll be celebrating 520 with other couples)