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MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1981
WEDDINGS LAST YEAR SET NEW RECORD
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THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE MARRIED IN 1980 BROKE ALL PREVIOUS RECORDS AND EXCEEDED THE 100 000 MARK,
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE MARRIAGE REGISTRY TODAY, A NEW RECORD OF 50 845 COUPLES WERE MARRIED LAST YEAR COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS TOTAL OF 45 222 IN 1979 WHICH WAS THEN ALSO A RECORD.
COMPARATIVE FIGURES OF MARRIAGES RECORDED BY THE MARRIAGE REGISTRY IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
36 192
39 700
40 383
40 400
45 222
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE REGISTRY ATTRIBUTED THE STEADY INCREASE TO THE GROWTH IN THE MARRIAGE AGE GROUP IN THE POPULATION IN RECENT YEARS AND TO THE SHORTER WAITING PERIOD FOR AN OFFICIAL MARRIAGE CEREMONY WHICH HAS BEEN SHORTENED FROM THREE MONTHS TO 17 DAYS.
AT LEAST 15 DAYS PUBLIC NOTICE OF A MARRIAGE IS REQUIRED UNDER THE MARRIAGE ORDINANCE IN CASE THERE ARE OBJECTIONS TO THE MARRIAGE.
ANOTHER REASON FOR THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MARRIAGES WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF GROUP WEDDINGS LAST OCTOBER WHICH PROVED QUITE POPULAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE BIGGEST EVER OF THESE GROUP WEDDINGS IN HONG KONG WILL TAKE PLACE AT YAU TONG AT THE END OF THIS MONTH WHEN 50 COUPLES WILL MARRY IN TIME FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.
THERE ARE AT PRESENT 17 MARRIAGE REGISTRIES LOCATED ALL OVER HONG KONG.
TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC, THE CITY HALL MARRIAGE REGISTRY WILL FROM JANUARY 25 OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, EXCEPT ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, INSTEAD OF CLOSING ON SATURDAY AFTERNOONS AND SUNDAYS.
THE KOWLOON MARRIAGE REGISTRY IN YAU MA TEI AND THE TAI PO MARRIAGE REGISTRY WILL ALSO OPEN OF SUNDAY MORNINGS BETWEEN 9 AM AND 1 PM FROM THAT DAY.
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