Two weeks ago at a regular dinner with the Dutch family, and we talked about marriage. When I told them I had been invited to a wedding from a friend in China, who was going to marry the next Sunday, they all put down their cutlery and looked at me wonderingly: ‘Dutch don’t marry on Sunday.’ ‘Really?’ I asked. ‘Because the municipality is closed on Sunday,’ they said. They further explained that Monday was the cheapest, but many people prefer Wednesday because kids are free from school on that afternoon. (Coincidently, this year February 29 th and December 12 th , two popular wedding days in Holland were Wednesdays.) Once again, the Dutch shrewdness in business impressed me. In turn I shared them a bit about the Chinese weddings: ‘In my region, a wedding invitation is like a debt of gratitude; the invitee is supposed to repay a gift or a red envelope.’ Actually my intention was to ask them to make a clip as a gift for my friend. In the clip they would read a passage of a wedding blessing in Cantonese. I was so grateful that they readily accepted my request; they helped me repay the debt. With the Pinyin noted in the script, they managed to speak perfect Cantonese! Chapeau! But do the Dutch really not marry on Sunday? Last Tuesday I went to the municipality specially for the answer. A female official responded me as follows: ‘I don’t how it is in other places, but no weddings on Sunday in Wageningen.’ ‘Have many people got married this year?’ I asked. ‘I don’t know. Why?’ She looked confused. ‘Because of the Mayan myths?’ I said. Her puzzled expression told me she must think I was crazy. However many Chinese friends of mine married this year, but it has nothing to do with the doomsday as we don’t use the Mayan calendar. Instead, 2012 is auspicious in Chinese calendar. Alas I haven’t found my Mrs. Right in 2012. Maybe in 2013? Wait for it. Vid of the Week Time for a bit Mad TV about the ‘I do’ moment.
No weddings on Sunday?
No weddings on Sunday in Holland? That's what I heard recently.
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