AUGUST 8? No, thank you.

That's what many couples told my paper, when asked if they would choose this date to get married this year. Despite the auspicious '888' that the date of Aug 8, 2008 would reflect on their marriage certificates, couples are giving it amiss because the date falls during the Chinese seventh month or the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival.

It is traditionally believed that it is unlucky to get married during this month. Business consultant Andy Ong, 28, said that while he was "not particularly superstitious", he "doesn't mind believing in this tradition".

Mr Ong got married on Jan 13, a date a Chinese fengshui master picked for him, he said. "There's no point taking such a big risk for such a major occasion of my life."

"Besides, it would definitely have been a big no-no for my parents," he added.

Mr David Tong, 32, of Chinese Metaphysics Global Consulting, said that most Chinese couples avoid August for their weddings.

The Chinese almanac also does not flag the eighth as a particularly lucky day for marriages this time round. The specialist in Chinese fengshui and "destiny" analysis said: "If not for the fact that the date falls during the Hungry Ghost Festival, a lot of couples would want to get married on Aug 8."

One woman, client executive Samantha Chua, 28, said she had thought of Aug 8 at first. She said: "We assumed that a lot of people would want to get married on Aug 8, because eight is such an auspicious number," she said.

"But we didn't want to become  part of a quick-in, quick-out mass production at the Registry of Marriages on that day."

Instead, she and her fiance will be tying the knot on Feb 2, this year" which would give them the numbers 02.02.08, which is also pretty lucky, she said.

Some couples however, will go ahead with the triple-eight date. At the Shangri-La, there are two bookings for it far. Meanwhile a Grand Hyatt Singapore spokesman said: "We do encounter couples who are not superstitious and will proceed with their chosen dates."

In fact, a sales manager, who wanted to be known only as Roger, 48, thought he would never be able to get the banquet hall of his choice at the Shangri-La.

"I think the triple-eight date is auspicious... and we were assuming a lot of Christian families would go for it," he said. He said the hotel staff did point out that the date fell during the Chinese seventh month.

But, he said, it didn't matter because most of his fiance's family were Christians.

"My fiance is a free-thinker", he added. The next triple date of Sept 9, 2009 (09.09.09) also falls in the Chinese seventh month, Mr Tong said.

serl@sph.com.sg