For our loyal, early-bird BVA Happenings readers, there may yet be time remaining today to purchase your heavily discounted pie, savory or sweet, for as little as $3.14. Yes, while January 23 was National Pie Day, today is the now beloved Pi Day “a la 3.14” and the Greek symbol π!
Unbeknownst to many still, Pi Day without the “e” at the end is indeed a national holiday owing to a U.S. House of Representatives non-binding resolution passed in 2009. Pi Day is celebrated annually on March 14 because its numerical date aligns with the first three digits of the mathematical constant 3.14159265359…, or the aforementioned Greek symbol.
The late physicist Larry Shaw started celebrating Pi Day to promote camaraderie among his co-workers while working at the San Francisco Science Museum known as the Exploratorium. According to the museum’s website, Shaw created novel traditions such as bringing in a table of fruit pies and having boombox parades while reciting the digits of Pi and singing Happy Birthday to Albert Einstein, who, amazingly, was born on March 14.
Shaw’s creativity on a small level then blossomed into an annual Exploratorium tradition for staff and the public. As publicity grew, the idea snowballed into something that eventually became huge but advanced with only isolated events. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, began the tradition of releasing decisions on college admission on Pi Day in keeping with its characteristics as a STEM-focused school. The ritual continues today.
Pi Day is now celebrated by math lovers and educators worldwide, but it is also a holiday observed in families, schools, offices, and among sports enthusiasts glued to their televisions and computers at the start of college basketball’s March Madness. Commercial sales of pizza pies, pot pies, and every dessert pie imaginable typically soar on March 14. Several restaurant chains and even a well-known convenience store chain offer freebies and deals on pie and pizza pie today, assisting fans of both pi and pie to enjoy the day a bit more. A few specific deals, courtesy of the Food Network, may help us celebrate.
