In recent years, the birth rate and marriage rate in our country have reached record lows, and the topic of marriage seems to have disappeared from the lives of young people. However, this year's 11th week was an exception, with an unusually large number of wedding receptions, and some people even had to attend seven banquets during the eight-day holiday.
So, why is that?Some speculate that since 2024 is known as the "Year of the Widow" by the people, it is rumored that it is not suitable to get married, so everyone chooses to get married early so as not to delay it again.
At the beginning of this year, official data showed that the total population of our country at the end of last year was 141.2 billion, a decrease of 850,000 from the previous year. The number of births was only 9.56 million, and the natural population growth rate was -06‰。
While the birth rate continued, the marriage rate also fell to 522%, compared to only 683 for the whole of last year30,000 couples tied the knot, nearly 1 million fewer than the previous year.
Young people are no longer as eager for marriage as their fathers were. Among the nearly 200 million marriageable people in China, the marriage rate continues to decline, but the divorce rate remains high.
There is a trend of non-marriage among young people, who no longer have expectations of marriage, which has led to a sharp increase in the number of older single men and women in society. So,Why are young people reluctant to get married?
First of all, economic pressure is an important factor.
In today's society, buying a house and a car has become the standard for young people. Many families do not hesitate to break the bank to prepare a house and car for their children in order to get married as soon as possible, but then there is high mortgage pressure.
Young people don't earn much, but the mortgage accounts for half of their salary, and this pressure makes them lose their freedom. In addition, marriage also needs to prepare bride price, hardware and other expenses, which is a big burden, so many young people can only choose to give up.
Of course, today's young people are more free-thinking, they pursue a personalized life, and no longer see marriage as the only pursuit of life, so non-marriage has become popular.
According to statistics, the current average age of first marriage in our country is 287 years old, compared to 10 years ago, the number was only 24At the age of 89, it was postponed for 4 years.
After the epidemic was lifted, my country's marriage market ushered in a long-lost prosperity. In previous years, the decline in the marriage rate was worrying, with many people postponing their marriages due to disruptions to their lifestyles and increased financial pressures. However, the state has introduced a series of policies to encourage childbirth, such as the issuance of maternity allowances and the extension of maternity leave, which have greatly alleviated the financial burden of young people in raising children, and also made many people look forward to entering the palace of marriage.
This year, with the full recovery of economic activity, not only did the number of tourists hit a record in the 11th week, but the number of marriages also climbed to the highest point in recent years. Netizens have shared their holiday experiences on social platforms, and many of them have been overwhelmed with wedding banquets. Some people joke that the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day are closed for eight days in a row, but they have to attend nine weddings, and even have to face five wedding banquets one day, which makes people tired to deal with.
The reason why there are so many wedding banquets this year is that on the one hand, because of the impact of the epidemic, many couples have chosen to postpone their weddings, and now that the epidemic situation has improved, they have chosen to make up for it this yearOn the other hand, 2024 is considered to be the "Year of the Widow", which is not suitable for marriage according to folk tradition, so many couples have to plan ahead to avoid postponing the wedding reception to the following year. Still, there are people who are curious about the "Year of the Widow" and question whether it really has a scientific basis.
The country's series of policies have not only adjusted the demographic structure, but also provided a boost to the economic recovery and the prosperity of marriages. In this special week, we can see people's love for life and anticipation for the future.
In traditional Chinese culture, people have carried out in-depth exploration and observation of the laws of the natural world, especially on the basis of the 24 solar terms, which have evolved the terms "double spring year" and "no spring year".
The so-called "year-free spring" is actually in the lunar calendar, where there is no solar term of "beginning of spring" in a year. In the concept of the ancients, "Lichun" symbolizes the vigorous spring, without it, the growth of all things in spring will be affected, the growth of crops may not be too good, and the grain production may also be reduced.
Therefore, many people refer to the "year without spring" as the "black year", "widow year" or "slippery year". At first, there was no "widow's year" in "no spring year", but some people who like to associate it from the word "widow" thought of "widow", so that "no spring year" also had the title of "widow's year". They even believe that the bride who marries during this year may become a widow.
2024 is a "year without spring" and a "year of widows". So, how exactly did it come to be?
The months of the lunar calendar are calculated based on the change in the circle and absences of the moon, which is about 29 per month53 days, or 354 or 355 days in a year. The Gregorian calendar, on the other hand, is based on the activity of the sun, and the time is 365 or 366 days.
Because the months of the lunar and Gregorian calendars are quite different, the gap between them becomes more and more pronounced over time, and the order of the seasons can also become confusing as a result. To solve this problem, the ancients would try to bring the Gregorian and lunar calendars into balance. As a result, there are 7 "leap months" in 19 lunar years to make up for the lack of 209 days in the lunar calendar.
However, in this way, the leap month year has 13 months with a total of 384 days. The beginning of the spring solar term is only 15 days, 384 days, which is 30 days more than a normal lunar year. This may lead to the "beginning of spring" in some years running to the next year, thus forming a "no spring year".
In China, it is relatively common to have no spring year, and it will cycle about every 2 to 3 years. For example, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2027 are all springless years. The "no spring year" corresponds to the "double spring year", that is, there will be two "beginning of spring" in a year.
The beginning of spring in 2024 runs to the end of the lunar year in 2023, and the beginning of spring in 2025 is the seventh day of the lunar calendar in 2025. Therefore, the Lunar Year of 2024 does not have a Spring Festival solar term.
From here, we can see that the emergence of the "Widow's Year" is entirely due to the fluctuation of the "Beginning of Spring" solar terms caused by the difference in the lunisolar calendar, and has nothing to do with the marriage of the newlyweds. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with getting married in the "Year of the Widow", and there is no reason why the bride will become a widow just because she is married in the "Year of the Widow".
In fact, judging from official data, the number of people who get married every year is quite large, but in recent years, the marriage rate has been declining year by year. The number of marriages in 2022 is even lower than the "Year of the Widow" in 2021. On the contrary, in 2013, the number of marriages was the highest in the past 20 years.
In folk tradition, there is a saying that arouses great curiosity: the double spring year. This phenomenon is considered special by some, and some even wonder if it will be related to the good luck of marriage. It is well known that the "Year of the Widow" is considered unsuitable for marriage, but the Double Spring Year seems to be in stark contrast to it. The word "spring" represents the restart of life, the revival of all things, and from this point of view, it seems to be an auspicious symbol. So, will people who get married in this year really usher in long-term happiness?
However, in reality, there are differences of opinion among the people on this issue. There is an opinion that the double spring year may mean two new beginnings, but this is not always a positive sign. Some people believe that people who get married in this year may face more emotional tests, such as divorce, remarriage, or cheating, and their relationship may not be as strong as they think. Therefore, the double spring year also has the title of "peach blossom year", which is considered unsuitable for marriage.
However, regardless of whether there is no spring or double spring, this phenomenon occurs about once every 2 to 3 years. According to folk sayings, there are actually not many years that are really suitable for marriage. Although this statement may sound reasonable, if people decide the date of marriage based on this, the rhythm of human life will obviously be disrupted. Therefore, these claims are not reliable.
We can refer to the statistics of the last century, which contain 37 years without spring and 37 years with double spring, but only 26 years are really considered suitable for marriage. Still, this does not mean that people who marry in these years cannot attain happiness. In fact, although some people get married in the year of no spring or double spring, many people are still able to walk through life together. This shows that the year of marriage is not the key to a happy marriage, but more important is people's fear of the unknown and their attitude towards marriage.
Therefore, as long as two people truly love each other, no matter what year they got married, it can't stop them from growing happily ever after. Only when two people truly establish a marriage concept of trust, understanding and support, can their marriage be stable for a long time. We should pay more attention to how to maintain each other's affection in marriage, and how to respect, tolerate and understand each other. These qualities are far more important than the chosen year of marriage. List of high-quality authors