"Not Married Yet" Masks Appear in Singapore for Holiday Nagging

Mask for Lunar New Year by Singapore lifestyle brand 'When I Was Four'. Source: When I Was Four Instagram

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Holiday nagging is not a hardship unique to Koreans. Amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the normalization of mask-wearing, a mask that can prevent holiday nagging has appeared in Singapore ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Singapore lifestyle brand 'When I Was Four' recently launched a mask line that allows freedom from relatives' nagging during the holidays, according to a report by NBC News in the United States.

The front of this mask is printed with answers to common questions often asked at family gatherings. Topics like employment, marriage, and childbirth are fixed repertoires, similar to Korea.

Specifically, phrases such as "Happy New Year. I don't have a boyfriend (girlfriend)," "I am not thinking about marriage yet," and "I will not have children" are inscribed. When I Was Four introduced the mask by saying, "Wearing this mask makes it easy to answer aunts' questions."

Since three out of four people in Singapore are of Chinese descent, the phrases are also printed in Chinese. The color is also in the red spectrum, which is favored by Chinese people. A spokesperson for When I Was Four said, "It will be a fun and practical product."