It's Chinese Singles' Day, a sort of anti-Valentine's Day where single people in China celebrate being free and eligible -- OR up the ante to find a mate.

Word has it that the unofficial yearly celebration started in the 1990s with Nanjing University students who organized festivals and match-making events on campus. Nov. 11 was chosen because 11/11 looks like four single people standing together. Sometimes Jan. 11 and Nov. 1 are also celebrated as days for singles.

The Chinese name for Singles' Day, Guāng Gùn Jié (光棍节) literally means "single stick festival."

A sign was posted this week on the HNC bulletin board, announcing Singles' Day, inviting single people to leave notes about single life and asking non-single people to leave wishes for their single classmates:

"In the beginning, Adam was a 光棍 (single stick)," the sign says. "And it was good."

In America, anti-Valentines Day celebrations seem to mostly be organized by women, but Singles' Day seems to be celebrated by both men and women. Men have good reason to observe the day -- by 2020 there may be 30 million more males of marriageable age than females in China.

For most young Chinese, Singles' Day is meant to be a time to revel in one's independence; however like Valentine's Day, it can also be a lonely reminder for those who haven't yet found that special someone. Today, it's increasingly acceptable for young Chinese to be single, but there is still tremendous pressure from parents to get married as soon as you reach your twenties.

So while many pamper themselves or spend the day with single friends, others participate in the numerous online and real-life match-making events and blind date parties held on Nov. 11. Sometimes, worried parents and grandparents also get involved, exchanging photos and their children's vital stats (age, height, weight, telephone number, job, income) in hopes of finding them a date.

With all the pressure to get married, having a day to celebrate your independence isn't a bad idea. All the single sticks, put your hands up!