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TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1976.
MARRIAGE STATISTICS FOR 1975
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THE NUMBER OF HARRIAGES REGISTERED IN 1975 WAS 36,192, 1,442 FEWER THAN THE 1974 ALL-TIME RECORD OF 37,634, THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, MR. W. HUME, ANNOUNCED TODAY.
+THE TOTAL INCLUDED 4,041 MARRIAGES BETWEEN PARTIES ALREADY PREVIOUSLY MARRIED IN OTHER WAYS, AS COMPARED WITH 3,864 MARRIAGES OF THIS CATEGORY IN 1974. EXCLUDING THESE "REMARRIAGES', THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED MARRIAGES DECREASED BY 1,619 FROM 33,770 TO 32,151,+ MR. HUME SAID.
THE SLIGHT DECREASE MAY HAVE BEEN PARTLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CURRENT LUNAR YEAR, WHICH BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 11, 1975, IS NOT AN AUSPICIOUS YEAR FOR MARRIAGES AMONGST THE CHINESE BECAUSE IT IS A 'ILIND YEAR', THAT IS TO SAY, A YEAR IN WHICH THERE IS NO FIRST DAY OF SPRING (LAP CHUN), WHEREAS THE PRECEDING LUNAR YEAR WAS A PARTICULARLY AUSPICIOUS YEAR WITH TWO FIRST DAYS OF SPRING.
THERE WAS A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CHURCH MARRIAGES IN 1975, THE TOTAL DEING 2,413 AS COMPARED WITH 2,641 IN 1974. HOST OF THE REGISTERED MARRIAGES WERE, AS USUAL, CELEBRATED AT THE MARRIAGE REGISTRIES. THE TOTAL OF SUCH MARRIAGES WAS 33,779, 1,214 FEWER THAN THE 1974 FIGURE.
IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, REGISTERED MARRIAGES CONTINUED TO INCREASE, WITH A TOTAL OF 6,910 MARRIAGES CELEBRATED, UP BY 868 OR 14 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH 6,042 IN 1974. THERE ARE NOW FOUR FULL-TIME REGISTRIES AND 13 PART-TIME REGISTRIES OPERATING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE TWO PRINCIPAL MARRIAGE REGISTRIES AT THE CITY HALL AND THE KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES REMAIN THE MOST POPULAR REGISTRIES, WITH 35 PER CENT OF ALL REGISTRY MARRIAGES CELEBRATED THERE. ANOTHER POPULAR REGISTRY WAS THE SAN PO KONG REGISTRY, WHERE 6,466 HARRIAGES TOOK PLACE DURING THE YEAR.
THE CITY HALL MARRIAGE REGISTRY CONTINUED TO OPERATE ON SUNDAY MORNINGS DURING THE YEAR AND A TOTAL OF 536. SUNDAY MORNING MARRIAGES WERE PERFORMED. IN MANY CASES, SUNDAY WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO BE A LUCKY DAY ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE CALENDAR IN OTHERS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF CONVENIENCE FOR WORK OR OTHER REASONS.
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