At 11 minutes past 11 on Friday the world clock will tick past a palindrome - 11:11 11.11.11.
While some will be thinking of Armistice Day and holding a minute of silence at 11 o'clock, others have decided to celebrate a rare numerical occurrence 11 minutes later – or even 12 hours and 11 minutes later for those not au fait with the 24-hour clock.
"Happy palindrome o'clock" was the phrase used by Guardian writer Tom Meltzer earlier this week, while Hadley Freeman pays her sartorial homage to The Day That Most Resembles Corduroy - and already signs across the globe demonstrate a creativity for finding the most baffling meaning in the date-anomaly.
Memorable weddings, planned births, elevenses parties, and clever campaigns are are all scheduled. McDonald's branches in Chicago are using the date as a marketing ploy offering half price fries for "Fryday", reports the Chicago Tribune. Speaking of marketing, can you guess when the horror film 11-11-11, set at on 11:11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, is planning its launch? Video game Skyrim will also be launching - and one blogger finds it particularly telling that his blog has been viewed 111,111 times.
On the link sharing site Reddit users are asking others if they're doing anything special - one user notes, "For those unfamiliar, in Korea 11/11 every year is Pepero day because the date looks like the cookie sticks." Reports claim that expectant mothers in South Korea are bombarding hospitals with requests for caesareans so their children receive 111111 as their identification number, which are given to all Korean residents.
Another user on this site points out the Germanic celebrations will no doubt be vamped up this year:
In Germany the Karneval season (also known as the fifth season!) officially gets under way at 11.11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month. I suspect that this year there will be an extra kölsch or two drunken to celebrate, as if the Karnevalisten need the excuse.
From births to marriages: Las Vegas is planning the world's largest wedding reception for thousands of couples expected to tie the knot in the city's wedding chapels and grab themselves an easy to remember anniversary date. According to the Las Vegas Sun, ordained ministers will also be on hand for 11.11pm should any couples have missed out. In China, the annual singles day (it is a lot of ones after all) has seen a rush of marriages with the Shanghai Morning Post said more than 3,000 wedding planned for the city.
Many will be celebrating their birthday on 11/11/11 - and reporters have done their best to find the most compulsive birthday story to go with the date (11-year-old twins in Washington seem to top the lot) Also happy birthday to our users thewhisperingeye, JDawgeleven11, sergioloddi, constablediefenbaker, MeikoG, gastroplod, and SJC1111.
But possibly the best use of the 11.11 on 11/11/11 has to be the campaign for the day to become Nigel Tufnel Day "in recognition of its maximum elevenness" in tribute to the Spinal Tap lead guitarist.
Of course, as traceyjb points out on another thread, if you have aibohphobia - an irrational fear of palindromes you'll probably be spending most of the day under the duvet.
