The hidden power of 12/12/12

It's easy to get 12/12/12 date confused with the apocalyptic 12/21/12 that corresponds with the end of the Mayan 5125-year Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. But despite the prophecies, the Mayan calendar simply starts again similar to our calendar, which happens yearly.

In Western numerology, numbers are associated with certain personality traits: The masculine one is self-sufficient and driven, while the feminine two is a true partner. Together they form a balanced and unstoppable pair. One also represents new beginnings and two represents union, making today's triple-digit date a propitious day for tying the knot. According to a David's Bridal survey, an estimated 7,500 brides will marry on 12/12/12—a 1,446 percent increase over the prior year!

According to Chinese numerology, one is considered a yang number ruled by the sun and represents independence and individualism. Two is considered a yin number ruled by the moon and represents symmetry and balance. Combined, the number 12 brings harmony to the yin and the yang, balancing the masculine energy of the sun and the feminine energy of the moon.

Tonight, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, The Who and more will play at 12-12-12 the Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden. All of the net proceeds will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which is providing meaningful assistance to local organizations serving the regions hit hardest by the devastating storm. Can't make the all-star concert? Stream it live on Hulu.

Mathematicians and scientists love the number 12 for its inherent divisibility. It is one of the relatively few smaller numbers that can be evenly divided into multiple subsets; 12 breaks down into halves, thirds, fourths, sixths and twelfths—making 12 (and all of its multiples) a very useful number.

Today's the sixth annual World Hoop Day, a nonprofit organization that gives hula-hoops to children around the world to promote peace and the importance of play. Once a year WHD synchronizes one mega, record-breaking hoop day with events across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, U.K., Germany, Costa Rica, Israel and Australia. Around the globe people of all ages will swivel their hips, laugh, dance and play. Join the whirl of fun, find an event on worldhoopday.org or just start hooping.

Beginning at noon local time, join the thousands of people around the globe in celebration of the third annual World Day of InterConnectedness, a 24-hour event dedicated to exploring, sharing and celebrating our interconnectedness and interdependence. You could pause to meditate and reflect at 12:12, plant a garden in the afternoon, attend a sustainable workshop or have your girlfriends over for organic wine. Check out some of the events on Celebrate121212.org.

Although the number 12 is everywhere, ten will forever hold the top position among cardinal numbers for being the number of fingers humans have to count on. The names of the numbers themselves depict their order of importance: Eleven comes from the Old English word endleofan, meaning one left and twelve from twelf, meaning two left. Eleven and twelve will forever be one and two leftover from ten, or tien.

Across cultures and religions three is considered a heavenly number and often represents the soul or godhead, while four is the number of earth and mankind, as there are four elements (earth, air, fire and water) and four cardinal directions (north, south, east and west). The product of the divine number three and the earthly number four, 12 encompasses both the sacred and secular.