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Grooms, brides, babies welcome 8-8-8 lucky date
Wedding centers and hospitals across the capital will be kept busy this Aug
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Wedding centers and hospitals across the capital will be kept busy this Aug. 8, 2008, with many Jakartans hoping the day will bring good fortune, as eight is a lucky number in Chinese tradition.
A customer service officer at Bunda Maternity Hospital in Central Jakarta, Kikin, said 20 women had registered to give birth there this Friday.
"They will have their babies delivered by cesarean section. There are more than usual. Generally, fewer than 10 patients give birth per day," Kikin told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
"They choose the date because it is quite easy to remember. It's common for mothers-to-be to request their deliveries on certain dates. Last year, many mothers requested their babies be delivered on July 7, 2007 (7-7-7)," she said.
Bintaro International Hospital marketing manager, Nailufar, said the hospital had recorded three women who requested their babies be delivered on Aug. 8.
"Two women even want to have their babies at 8 a.m. It's not a big deal as long as the doctors are available. The important thing is that those who will have their babies on that day have already had an indication they will need a cesarean," Nailufar said.
Yoan Cicilia, 26, is one of the women who chose to have her baby on Aug. 8.
"My husband and I decided to pick that date because it is easy to remember. I also plan to have my baby girl delivered at 8 p.m.," said Yoan, a patient of Bunda Hospital.
"In Chinese culture, this is the Year of the Rat. Since rats are nocturnal, it is better to give birth at night so the child will be good at earning a lot of money."
She added her doctor recommended she have a cesarean because she gave birth to her first daughter only a year ago.
"The doctor said if I wanted to have my baby the normal way, I should have waited at least two years after the first birth. But it turned out I got pregnant sooner than I planned," Yoan said.
Religious Affairs Offices (KUA) across the capital are also feeling the hype of the "lucky" date with many couples naming Aug. 8 the day to tie the knot.
Abdul Jalil of the KUA in Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta, said 26 couples had registered to get married on Friday with five of them getting married at the office.
"This is more than usual for a Friday and most of them booked the date months ago. We have five officials to marry the couples," Abdul said.
"Many Muslims consider this to be the *last' month before they fast in September because Muslim couples generally don't get married during the fasting month," he said.
KUA Tebet, also in South Jakarta, has 20 couples to marry, while KUA Palmerah in West Jakarta has registered 19 couples.
Officials from both KUAs confirmed the numbers were higher than usual for weekdays.
Meanwhile, Santa Maria Cathedral in Central Jakarta, a popular place for weddings, is also fully booked out for wedding ceremonies.
"Four couples will tie the knot that day. That's the maximum number of bridal couples we can serve in a day. The couples booked the church about six to seven months ago," said Yan, an employee at the church.
