What is in a number? Do a certain combination of numbers indicate good luck, or signal trouble in the distance; how about a guarantee for eternal wedded bliss? Quite a few people must think so, according to the increased number of weddings that took place on September 9, 2009, (Garcia, 2009).
From Malaysia to America, the number of weddings that took place on 9/9/09 quadrupled in some areas. There were various reasons given for the spike in nuptials on the ninth day of September. Some of the couples interviewed acknowledged that the anniversary date will be easier to remember; while others couldn't refuse such a good deal….only 99 cents for a wedding at a store in Hollywood, (Garcia, 2009).
Weddings weren't the only gamble that exploded on September 9, 2009. The lottery saw an increase in the number of people hoping to strike it big using the number du jour. The all nine combinations were sold out way in advance in some states, (Garcia, 2009).
Anyone that decided to tie the knot or gamble that the number nine was of life changing significance may have placed more emphasis on the day than what it was worth. For example, in China, many newlyweds flocked to get married on that day because the word "nine" sounds similar to a word that means "forever" in their language. Even though it isn't the same word, it sounds like it; so that is good enough, (Garcia, 2009).
Some facts about the number nine that the newlyweds and lottery gamblers probably didn't give a second thought about….the number 9 is a centered octagonal number, 9 can be partitioned in 30 ways, and 9 is the maximum number of cubes that are needed to sum any positive integer. According to Islam, in a male human body there are nine openings, and grammatically there are nine parts to the English language, ("The number nine", 2009). So regardless of the luck that some may consider the day to bring, there is actual science connected to the number nine.
Reference
Garcia, O., (September 9, 2009). Vegas weddings abound as number align on 9-9-09. Associated
Press. Retrieved September 9, 2009 from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090909/ap_on_re_us
/us9_9_weddings
The number nine, (2009). Retrieved September 11, 2009 from http://www.virtuescience.com/9.
html
