Thousands of couples got married on Saturday, an especially lucky day in the Chinese calendar, reports Beijing Evening News.

Saturday was September 6. Being the sixth day of the ninth month and falling on the sixth day of the week, it was considered particularly auspicious. Six and nine are considered lucky because they share the same pronunciation with the words "smooth" and "forever", respectively.

SARS, which delayed a large number of weddings originally set for May, is believed to have contributed to the surge of ceremonies in September, one of the busiest wedding seasons of the year under normal circumstances.

At least 15 processions of flower and balloon-decorated cars passed over Jianguomen Bridge in the span of half an hour Saturday morning.

Wedding service company Purple House said it handled 56 wedding ceremonies on Saturday, the largest number so far this year.

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