I was watching “Unang Hirit” at Kapuso Network this morning when the hosts talked about the date today, which is 09/09/09. I think it was Lyn Ching who said that people believe 09/09/09 is a lucky number or even a lucky day to some. Paolo Bediones, on the other hand, commented that some believe it otherwise, as the triple 9 combination, when inverted or viewed upside-down, can be read as 666, believed to be the biblical representation of the devil, being the “Number of the Beast” in the Book of Revelation.
But what really is so special about 09/09/09 for it to be this newsworthy?
Outside it was raining, and I was off to work. I saw the same people who I regularly ride the FX with, the same faces at the FX terminal, which includes Junie (the Caller) and Mang Estong (my favorite FX Driver). The traffic flow was the same as yesterday, EDSA looked as busy as any day, and yes, outside, there seemed to be nothing really so special, or spectacular about today.
So I asked myself again, “Why is September 9, 2009 in the news?”
As soon as I reached the office, my curiosity brought me to google the numbers and was surprised to find a lot of articles and all the fuss about the numbers 09/09/09.
On top of the google search results was an online forum discussing 09/09/09 as the Devil’s day. Someone even posted a mathematical explanation why the number 9, is oddly interesting.
Here’s the sample computation provided by Evasius:
8+8+8=24, 2+4=6, 24-6=18, 1+8=9 -or- 888-24=864, 8+6+4=18, 1+8=9.
Evasius posted the above computation on 31/01/8, which he / she (not sure about the writer’s gender) claims that “all roads lead to 9″, by illustrating the date 31/01/08 leading to 9 through another mathematical computation:
31-01-8 (3+1+1+8=13, 1+3=4, 13-4=9)
To quote further, Evasius said: “Everyday (and every number higher than 9) can be reduced to 9 this way.”
The second article in my google search by Daniel Terdiman was about September 9, 2009 being symbolical to the world-famous 60′s group, “The Beatles”. It is said that today is the launch date for the band’s song “Revolution 9″, the lyrics of which end with the words “number nine, number nine, number nine”. It is also today that a CD box set of the entire Beatles catalog will be released. Coincidentally, the music industry is talking about Apple’s announcement of a special media, “rock and roll” event taking place today at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10am (Pacific Time).
According to an article by Heather Whipps of MSNBC, a Florida (US) county clerk is offering a $99.99 one-day wedding special for interested couples. With such an offer on a really phenomenal date, some American couples might think today is a good day to get married.
Whipps also mentioned some interesting trivia on the number 9 from other countries. Beijing’s Forbidden City palace complex was believed to have been built with 9,999 rooms, showing the Ancient Chinese emperors’ faith in the power of the number nine.
In Japan, however, the number nine signifies suffering, which is why it is considered very unlucky. For this reason, if you have a Japanese guest, you may want to avoid checking them in to a hotel room which bears the unlucky number 9.
Then I remembered before 09/09/09, there was 08/08/08, and 07/07/07, and so on and so forth. The numerical combination of repeating single-digit numbers indeed over the years has become interesting to most people, especially that it takes years, or even centuries, for another such calendrical phenomenon to happen again.
After December 12, 2012 (12/12/12), which is itself considered by some people as doomsday (but that’s another story), the next one would be on January 01, 2101 (that is, if we are lucky to make it beyond the rumored date for the end of the world…geesh).
In conclusion, these numbers, to me, are all figures, but without an exact meaning. Anyone can have his / her own interpretation, depending on one’s culture, influences and beliefs. So which one is accurate? Which one is true? Evasius’? The Chinese Emperors’? or the Japanese peeps’?
Looking further back, I realized I have had my share of lucks and bad lucks in my life, which I would rather account for my own actions and efforts, and likewise, as a result of my own mischiefs or wrongdoings, and not by some supernatural phenomenon, unexplained beliefs or unfounded claims.
Hence, I am marking today, September 9, 2009, as just another date. Yes, just another day.
Notes/References: Evasius and the entire forum discussion on 09/09/09: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread330653/pg1)
Daniel Terdiman for the Cnet Tech News – http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/19/tech/cnettechnews/main5251731.shtml
Heather Whipps for Live Science: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090908/sc_livescience/why090909issospecial
On Apple’s special media event: http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/09/09/07/questions.persist.on.events.signifi/
This post was submitted by Happinay.
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