8th August, 2008

The Beijing Olympics this year will be officially opened at 8.00 p.m. on the 8th of August, 2008. If you write that numerically it would read 8888. I am sure that the authorities in China decided on the time and date as they consider it as auspicious.
I have also heard that many couples are planning to tie the knot on this auspicious date. But if you look at the Chinese almanac, this is not a good day for marriage. Furthermore, it is not a good day to celebrate birthdays and full moon for babies. However, it is good for holding funerals and burial.
Incidentally my late father was born on August 8, 1930. My nephew, Kristofer, who shares the same birthday as his grandpa was born on August 8, 1997. The Chinese do not really look at days according to the western or gregorian calendar but instead follow the lunar calendar. So, the dates would be different. Furthermore, to know whether a day is good or bad, one needs to look at the T'ung Shu or Chinese Almanac to find out.

Here is some info about the T'ung Shu:

The Chinese Almanac is both a health guide and a unique planning tool. It is based on the ancient Chinese science of long-term forecasting and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here you will find predictions for the coming year about the weather, crops, livestock, human relations, natural disasters, health and illnesses, stocks, business trends and more. You will also find much practical information on health, nutrition and the prevention of illnesses, with short, easy-to-read articles on topics such as: How wind causes illness, New Year's Resolutions, How to treat an upset stomach, A better cold remedy, The middle way, The key to health, The connection between flavours and organs, and many more.

Source: www.target.com/Chinese-Almanac-2008-Zhang-T/dp/0978443306

** The book shown above is the English version of the T'ung Shu. Here we use the Chinese version and the price for one is around RM7 - RM9.