9,000 Chinese Couples To Wed On Lucky Date

(From The USA Today -- By Calum MacLeod)

A record 9,000 couples plan to tie the knot in Beijing next Friday to celebrate the opening of the Olympic Games and to take advantage of the lucky date -- 08.08.08.

The Chinese government purposely chose the day to kick off the two weeks of sporting competitions because the number eight is considered lucky in Beijing.

In Mandarin, the word for "eight" sounds like part of the expression "to get rich."

9,000 Chinese Couples To Wed On Lucky Date