Today Is 2-22-22 ... And A Tuesday. Here's ... - Houston Public Media

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Today's date is 2-22-22, aka "Twosday."

The extremely rare date is full of opportunities for palindrome enthusiasts as well as wedding chapels, eateries, all sorts of businesses and — of course — regular people going about their (did we mention numerically extraordinary?) day.

Aziz Inan, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Portland in Oregon, tells Morning Edition that it's worth celebrating however you can.

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"These symmetric dates have what I call magic power," he says. "It's amazing how when you share, you know, you have to wait a hundred years to experience this again. ... I can't imagine it doing anything else but spread positive energy and make people have fun."

He points out that if you write the date in full according to the calendar system in which the day goes before the month, it comes out to 22-02-2022: another rare, eight-digit palindrome date.

"Such full dates do not repeat," he adds.

As neat as the numbers on the calendar are, they don't necessarily signify anything on their own.

Barry Markovsky, a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of South Carolina, says finding meaning in Tuesday's date of 2-22-22 says more about humans' ability to find patterns than anything else.

The Pattern Problem

The Pattern Problem

The capacity to recognize animals' footprints and distinguish predators from prey could mean the difference between life and death in primitive times, he explains. 2-22-22 is not exactly about that, though.

"There's nothing of consequence, really, associated with the day itself," Markovsky adds. "Our calendar itself is kind of arbitrary, and so those dates don't necessarily signify anything on any particular day, but it is just kind of a fun thing to notice."

It's also a fun day for weddings, discounts and other celebrations — especially because 2-22-22 happens to fall on National Margarita Day in the United States. Here are some events and suggestions for how to mark the day.

It'll make for a great anniversary date

2-22-22 is, unsurprisingly, a popular day for weddings.

Sacramento, Calif., is holding what it calls its "biggest, once-in-a-lifetime collective wedding event" at the State Capitol, in which 222 couples will tie the knot in a ceremony concluding at 2:22 p.m. local time.

In Las Vegas — where Clark County officials just issued the county's 5 millionth wedding license — wedding chapels are reporting limited availability for services due to heightened demand. Officials say Feb. 22 is likely to be Nevada's busiest wedding day in recent history, especially considering the drop in demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

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In fact, the Clark County Marriage License Bureau decided to keep its temporary pop-up facility at Harry Reid International Airport (which is traditionally available for travelers coming to get married around Valentine's Day) open through Feb. 22 to accommodate the surge.

The Contra Costa County clerk's office in Richmond, Calif., says it's performing 22 weddings on 2-22-22 — almost double the number of ceremonies it typically offers.

And for East Coast couples looking for something a little lower key, Kindred Spirits Weddings, a justice of the peace service, is offering $22 deals for anyone eloping in the Seacoast, N.H., region on 2-22-22.

Hotels and airlines are offering limited-time discounts

Hotels and airlines are capitalizing on the rare date, offering limited-time discounts for people who book travel plans on 2-22-22.

Among them: The Great Wolf Lodge family of resorts is offering rates as low as $222 for a two-night stay in a standard suite booked on 2-22-22 for any date before May 26. And for two days, Feb. 22 and 23, the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas is offering a 22% discount, starting at $222, for guests booking a Caribbean getaway.

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Australia's low-cost carrier Jetstar is slashing fares on 22,000 tickets to just AU$22 one way for certain travel dates in October and November. And United Airlines is offering discounts to United MileagePlus members who book award flights on 2-22-22 for any of the airline's 22 nonstop routes between the U.S. and London from March 1 to Nov. 15. The flights cost 22,000 miles each way plus taxes, according to The Points Guy.

Fast-food chains and delivery apps are also getting in on the deals

Between Twosday, Taco Tuesday and National Margarita Day, many eateries and food delivery services are offering limited deals too.

For example, Burger King is giving rewards members 22% off purchases of $2 or more through the end of the week, while participating Krispy Kreme stores are giving customers a dozen glazed doughnuts for $2 when they order any dozen doughnuts or a 16 count of minis.

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Chili's and Ruby Tuesday are offering discounted margaritas for restaurant diners. Those who favor takeout can get 22% off their Grubhub delivery on 2-22-22.

Here are lists of deals from Thrillist and USA Today.

Celebrate with a simple Google search

The simplest and most immediately gratifying way to celebrate is right at your fingertips. Just type 2/22/2022 into the Google search bar and keep your eyes on the screen.

The audio version of this story was produced by Lindsay Totty and David West and was edited by Danny Hajek.

The digital version of this story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog.

Transcript:

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

So you know, today isn't just a Tuesday, it's also Twosday - that's T-W-O-S day. Today's date is February 22, 2022. As a five-digit date, that's 2-22-22.

AZIZ INAN: The occurrence of such date is rare.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Aziz Inan is a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Portland. And he's also fascinated by numerical patterns.

INAN: If you write this date number in full, using all the digits of the year number in the calendar system where they put the day number before the month number, this date is going to be 22-02-2022, which is going to be another rare, eight-digit, full palindrome date. And such full dates do not repeat.

MARTÍNEZ: Professor Inan isn't the only one excited about this. I am, too, by the way. Today is also a very popular date for weddings around the world. And a few hotels are offering so-called 222 deals, with 22% discounts and rooms for two 22 - $222 a night. So you should plan something life-changing and try to pronounce this whole thing right, too. Depends on who you ask, though.

BARRY MARKOVSKY: There's nothing of consequence, really, associated with the date itself. Or calendar itself is kind of arbitrary. And so those dates don't necessarily signify anything on any particular day. But it is just kind of a fun thing to notice.

MARTIN: Yes, it is, Barry Markovsky. He's a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of South Carolina. He says finding meaning in today's date says more about humans' ability to find patterns more than anything else. In primitive times, he says, it was essential.

MARKOVSKY: Recognizing footprints of animals and being able to distinguish the patterns of predators versus prey makes the difference between life and death.

MARTÍNEZ: Still, Professor Inan at the University of Portland hopes everyone is able to mark today in some special way.

INAN: These symmetric dates have what I call magic power. It's amazing how - when you share, you know? Like, you have to wait 100 years to experience this again. And, you know, I can't imagine doing anything else but spread positive energy and make people have fun.

(SOUNDBITE OF DARUMA'S "DARUMA")

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