Today is One Odd Day.

Thursday is one odd day in history. And when we say odd, we mean the date is -- literally.

May 7, 2009, or 5-7-09 is one of only six dates this century that will feature three consecutive odd digits.

Numbers lovers say the rare occurrence is an excuse to celebrate.

Three consecutive odd numbers make up the date only six times in a century. This day marks the half-way point in this parade of Odd Days which began with 1/3/5.

The previous stretch of six dates like this started with 1/3/1905 — 13 months after the Wright Brothers' flight," said Ron Gordon, the Redwood City teacher who enthusiastically promotes these numerical holidays, like Square Root Day on 3/3/09.

Gordon is offering a prize of $579 to those who celebrate the date with the most zeal or who get the most people involved in an Odd Celebration. ”We've established a contest and are offering the date in dollars ($579) to be shared by the winners. Prizes will be distributed to those who involve the most people in the Oddest Parade of Odd Characters, write the best Odd Ode, or create the best Odd Celebrations.

Our daughter Rachel, a sophomore at U.C. Davis, is sponsoring a Facebook event which can be found on Facebook under "events" , "Odd Day"---all are invited---bring your friends!!

Things to do on Odd Day: It's a great day to do your odds 'n ends, give a friend a high-five, root for the odds-on-favorite, read the Wizard of Odds, watch the Odd Couple, say aaaahd in the doctor's office, look for sea odders, find that missing odd sock, and beat the odds.

Odd Days are the unsung numerical peace-keepers---if it wasn't for odd numbers, all the even numbers would bump into each other!

These days are like calendar comets---you wait and wait and wait for them, then they brighten up your day---and poof---they're gone!

The simplest way to celebrate Odd Day?---just share it with a friend. Greet them with the news of the day (they'll be awed)---and they, in turn, can tell another. It's kind of like a secret that you can't help sharing. A little math, a little smile, a little fun---that's Odd Day!

And why don't we celebrate even day? That's easy---it's one thing to encourage folks to do something odd for fun. But it's very different to urge them to get even with someone.

Odd Birthdays---if you didn't get one this year, Odds are you'll get an Odd Birthday next year. (and you probably had one last year too!)

An Odd Ode:

As Odd as it is, the day will be fine,

You see, it's the numbers 5,7, and 9.

Three odds in a row to tell you the date,

We've only three more, then a 90-year wait.

Nelson

www.yourclickmarket.blogspot.com