Palindrome Day

What Is Palindrome Day?

December 21 is "Palindrome Day" in Japan. Written as 1221, the date reads the same forwards and backwards, and it was established on that basis by Niken Miyazaki, who composes palindromic haiku. Few anniversaries state their own subject quite so directly.

A Date That Is Itself a Palindrome

A palindrome is a word or sentence that reads the same in either direction.

• Origin of the date: the sequence 1221 reads identically forwards and backwards
• Established by: Niken Miyazaki, a composer of palindromic haiku
• What a palindrome is: a word or phrase that reads the same both ways
• Palindromic haiku: a haiku that keeps the 5-7-5 form while reading the same in reverse

The Same Date, Read a Completely Different Way

December 21 is also Long-Distance Relationship Day in Japan, which reads 1221 as two separated 1s at the ends and a joined pair, 22, in the middle. The same four digits, interpreted differently, produce an entirely different anniversary -- which is half the fun of number-based days.

Tips for Marking This Day

• List the palindromes you already know in any language
• Try building one from your own name or your company's
• Attempt a 5-7-5 haiku that reads the same in reverse
• Hunt the calendar for other dates that form palindromes

The Same Forwards and Backwards

This anniversary exists because someone noticed a pattern in the digits. Even a familiar calendar leaves room to play.