XN000022-1980-02-16 — Page 2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1980

RECORD NUMBER OF MARRIAGES LAST YEAR

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THE NUMBER OF MARRIAGES REGISTERED LAST YEAR REACHED A RECORD TOTAL OF 45 222, SHOWING AN INCREASE OF 12 PER CENT OVER 1978, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE MARRIAGE REGISTRY TODAY (SATURDAY).

OF THESE, 4 998 WERE MARRIAGES BETWEEN PARTIES PREVIOUSLY MARRIED OTHERWISE THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MARRIAGE ORDINANCE, GENERALLY BY CHINESE CUSTOMARY CEREMONIES, AS COMPARED WITH 4 304 IN 1978. EXCLUDING THESE 'REMARRIAGES' THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED MARRIAGES INCREASED BY 4 228 FROM 36 096 TO 40 224.

COMMENTING ON THE FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARRIAGE REGISTRY ATTRIBUTED THE INCREASE TO THE FACT THAT LAST YEAR HAPPENED TO HAVE TWO FIRST DAYS OF SPRING (LAP CHUN) IN THE LUNAR CALENDAR, AND WAS TRADITIONALLY REGARDED BY THE CHINESE AS AN AUSPICIOUS YEAR FOR MARRIAGES.

ANOTHER FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASE IS BELIEVED TO BE THE POPULATION STRUCTURE WHICH NOW HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF PERSONS IN THE AGE GROUP FOR MARRIAGES, THAT IS FROM 18 TO 35 FOR WOMEN AND 21 TO 39 FOR MEN, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

DURING THE YEAR 42 341 MARRIAGES WERE PERFORMED IN VARIOUS MARRIAGE REGISTRIES WHILE 2 881 RELIGIOUS MARRIAGES WERE CELEBRATED

IN 158 LICENSED PLACES OF WORSHIP.

THE PEAK PERIOD OF THE MARRIAGE REGISTRY AGAIN OCCURRED IN THE MONTHS OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER WHEN 4 462 AND 4 334 MARRIAGES RESPECTIVELY WERE REGISTERED AS COMPARED WITH THE MONTHLY AVERAGE OF 3 768.

+MANY PEOPLE WANT TO GET MARRIED BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS TO CATCH UP THE FESTIVE HOLIDAYS OF CHRISTMAS AND LUNAR NEW YEAR,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

AMONG THE 12 MARRIAGE REGISTRIES, CITY HALL REMAINS THE MOST POPULAR ONE AND IS ALSO THE ONLY REGISTRY WHERE MARRIAGES ARE PERFORMED ON SUNDAYS. A TOTAL OF 6 478 MARRIAGES WERE REGISTERED THERE LAST YEAR.

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE SERVICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED LAST YEAR WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW TAI PO MARRIAGE REGISTRY. THE NEW REGISTRY NOT ONLY HELPS TO EASE MUCH THE PRESSURE ON MARRIAGE REGISTRIES IN URBAN AREAS BUT IS ALSO VERY CONVENIENT FOR THE RURAL RESIDENTS.

LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE TAI PO GOVERNMENT OFFICES, THE NEW REGISTRY IS PROVIDED WITH A RANGE OF NEW FACILITIES INCLUDING A PARKING SPACE FOR THE WEDDING CAR, A BRIDAL CHAMBER AND A GARDEN OUTSIDE THE MARRIAGE CEREMONIAL HALL.

THE NEW REGISTRY BECAME OPERATIONAL IN JULY LAST YEAR. IT HAS PROVED ITS POPULARITY BY BOOSTING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MARRIAGES REGISTERED IN TAI PO DURING THE YEAR TO 2 600, MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF 1 129 IN 1978.

/APART FROM