When is Singles' Day?
Singles' Day 2026 is on Wednesday
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
November 11 every year. That's in 38 days.
until Singles' Day begins, in your time zone
Singles' Day is a Chinese pop culture day that celebrates being single, picked for 11/11 because its four ones look like four people standing alone. It started as a student joke in the 1990s and is also known as Double Eleven.
About Singles' Day
Singles' Day, called Guanggun Jie in Chinese, turns the date 11/11 into a self-mocking celebration of single life. The digit 1 looks like a bare stick, and guanggun, literally a bare branch or stick, is a long-standing slang word for an unmarried man that used to carry a stigma. A date written with four ones became a natural joke about being on your own, and the day's spirit is social rather than lonely: single friends use it as a reason to get together.
The origin is usually traced to Nanjing University. The most common account says that in 1993 students in an all-male dormitory decided to mark their single status on November 11, and that the idea spread to other campuses and then into wider society during the 1990s. Writers who have looked into the story, including journalist Alec Ash, note that it is passed down as campus lore rather than documented history, so the details are best read as tradition.
The day took on a second identity in 2009, when Alibaba's Taobao Mall, later renamed Tmall, ran its first November 11 promotion with a small group of merchants. That event grew rapidly, and in the years since, Double Eleven (Shuang Shiyi) has become best known abroad as a major retail date. The older meaning survives alongside it: for many people in China, Guanggun Jie is still simply a lighthearted day for those who are not in a relationship.
Sources: Los Angeles Review of Books China Blog: Selling Singles Day (Alec Ash, 2016), The China Project: Bare Branches (Alec Ash, 2019), CNBC: Alibaba Singles Day, how the giant shopping event began (2018). How we check dates.
How to mark Singles' Day
- Plan a dinner or outing with single friends and celebrate the people who keep you company.
- Take yourself on a solo date to a museum, park or restaurant you have been meaning to try.
- Learn the Chinese wordplay behind the day, from guanggun to Shuang Shiyi, and share it with friends.
- Check in with a friend who might be feeling lonely and invite them to something low-key.
- Mark the day without spending: pick a hobby, a long walk or a book and give yourself the evening.
Singles' Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Tuesday, November 11, 2025 |
| 2026 | Wednesday, November 11, 2026 |
| 2027 | Thursday, November 11, 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, November 11, 2028 |
| 2029 | Sunday, November 11, 2029 |
| 2030 | Monday, November 11, 2030 |
| 2031 | Tuesday, November 11, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is Singles' Day 2026?
Singles' Day 2026 is on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. It falls on November 11 every year. In 2027, it is on Thursday, November 11, 2027.
Why is Singles' Day on November 11?
The date 11/11 is written with four ones, and the number one looks like a lone bare stick. In Chinese slang, guanggun, a bare branch, means a single man, so the date became a joke celebration of being single.
Is Singles' Day the same as Double Eleven?
Yes, both names refer to November 11. Double Eleven (Shuang Shiyi) is often used for the shopping event that grew from the day after 2009, while Guanggun Jie refers to the original singles' celebration.
Where did Singles' Day start?
It is usually traced to students at Nanjing University in the early 1990s, often dated to 1993. The story is campus lore rather than a documented founding.
Is Singles' Day a public holiday?
No. Singles' Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.