The Meaning Behind 11-11-11

It’s one of those once in a century events this week as today’s calendar marks the date 11-11-11. These dates have been popping up more often since our new millennium has started.

Last year the special date was 10-10-10, the year before, 9/09/09, and so on. However, this year’s date is more significant due to the fact that the numbers are exactly the same in a sequence. The next time this will happen will be a hundred years from now in the year 2111.

According to the Time and Date site, the last time this phenomenal date happened was back in 1911 when The Great Blue Norther blew in that affected those who resided in the central United States. The site stated, “Many cities had record high temperatures in the early afternoon and record dropping temperatures by nightfall. This was the only day that many cities in the Midwest were able to break record highs and lows for the same day.” The cause behind the cold front was a strong storm that split the warm air from the cold freezing air.

Other special days that occur on the 11^th are the annual Veteran’s Day in the United States and also Australia and Canada’s Remembrance Day. This date is held to honor those in the military who have fought for their country. It also celebrates the day the armistice was signed in 1918 to end WWI hostilities between Germany and the Allied Nations.

In the United States, veterans nationwide are thanked for their services to their country. In Australia, for it’s Remembrance Day, many stop in a moment of silence at exactly 11am in honor of those who have died in wars as far back as WWI. Time and Date stated that numerous Australians “wear artificial poppies on the day and key political figures make speeches in remembrance of the nation’s fallen heroes.”

Besides the history behind November 11, what makes 11-11-11 so special? There are those who believe that the date is spiritually linked with the impending doom of the Mayan 2012 prophecy. To them, the date will begin a new era of spirituality. According to Live Science, “Nov. 11, 2011 most likely became linked with Dec. 21, 2012 when believers noticed that the U.S. Naval Observatory had set the exact time of the 2012 winter solstice for 11:11 Universal Time on Dec. 21, according to John Hoopes, a scholar of Maya history at the University of Kansas.” Whichever the case may be for how the date became linked to the Mayan prophecy, many do find the date to be a special moment in their lives.

Thousands view the date as the spiritual motivator to get married as they gather at wedding chapels today. Walt Disney, in honor of the date, will be hosting 11 weddings on 11-11-11. Some see the double digits as bringers of luck.

For those who are movie fans, especially horror/doom films, they will be happy to know that a new film, “11-11-11” was released today, but is only being shown in selected markets.

If you are a fan of the Saw films, I am sure you will enjoy this one as the film franchise’s director, Darren Lynn Bousman, is also directing the new film. “11-11-11” is a about a troubled man who is plagued by a mysterious dark force that enters Earth through Heaven’s 11^th gate.

So whether you’re getting married, preparing for doom, honoring the veterans, or watching a good horror flick, make sure you enjoy the significance of this special day. For you may not live to see this double prime number again, unless you live up to the next 100 years.

Photos courtesy of fsse8info via Flickr and Photographer’s Mate 2nd Daniel J. McLain and Ancient People via WikiCommons.