That’s the Reason Why We Chose the Day

by Blanche Ko

Many of my friends often asked me, “Why did you choose to get married on February 22, 2020?”

It started in the winter of 2019 in Taipei, during a period when it would rain constantly. That day after work, my boyfriend (now husband) and I went to the hot pot restaurant we would frequently go to for a quick meal. After having a bowl of soup to warm up our stomachs, we chatted as usual.

Like most couples who have been dating for years, the topics we talked about were just random things that happened at work or the trivialities of life. We scrolled through our friends’ wedding photos on Instagram and started to talk about their wedding. Inevitably, this led to us discussing the next step of our relationship. I forgot who brought up the topic, but we made a rapid decision to marry.

However, we took a lot of time to decide which day we would get married. In the beginning, he was like, “How about February 29?”

The year 2020 was a leap year. There were 29 days in February. We all knew what he was planning to do. He wanted to spend as few wedding anniversaries as possible. That was so sneaky! Of course, I refused.

Then he was like, “How about my birthday?”

Almost instantly, I asked him back, “Why not my birthday?” and he readily agreed.

Suddenly, I felt like I had fallen into some trap, alarm bells ringing in my heart. While we finished our hot pot, our conversation, which was boiling like broth, finally concluded.

The wedding day was planned to take place between our birthdays – not one day more or less, precisely in the middle. Just like our relationship is balanced and fair, I think it is significant to be equal in the couple’s relationship. A basic rule to a healthy relationship is respecting each other’s feelings and needs. If you have respect, you can face any difficulties together.

In addition, the number 2 represents a pair, which in the traditional culture of Taiwan is a blessing for the couple. Good things come as a pair, and we believe with many 2s on our wedding day; our married life will be very smooth.

So, we got married two months after we stepped out of the hot pot restaurant. There is no romantic reason to choose this date, but we made the day romantic.

Here comes our 2nd wedding anniversary! February 22, 2022, might be the most “twos” we have in future anniversaries.

Do you have a good hot pot restaurant list in your pocket? Please let me know!