Today is Pi Day

What is Pi Day?  I first learned that Pi equals 3.14 (with a longer string of numbers, if you are really interested) when I was a youngster in school in the 1950s.  The day itself dates to 1988, though, when (according to what I found online) "physicist Larry Shaw began celebrations at the Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco."

But it was 2009 when Congress designated every March 14 to be a holiday.  Why?  I read somewhere that someone hoped it would spur more interest in math and science.  Today, I read that it is, fittingly enough, also Albert Einstein’s birthday and (get this!) also the day that Stephen Hawking died.  I'd say they are probably the two biggest names in math and science most of us could come up with.

So celebrate by eating a piece of pie.  It could be a slice of pie like those above or, if you want to be different, it could be a slice of pizza pie.  I want pepperoni.

Pi Day = pie for dessert

Pi Day is celebrated each year on March 14th.  Why?  Because the mathematical "pi" equals 3.1415 (plus a string of other numbers).  When we put those numbers into the way we count days, they become 3/14 or 3-14.  Do you see it?  I loved numbers (as well as words) when I was in school, so this kind of stuff intrigued me.  This year (3-14-25) is a Friday (as you can see).  The illustration above seems rather impossibly to be a mixture of cherry pie and pumpkin pie.  I like both, but I prefer fruit pies like these.

Pi is a Greek letter, pronounced "pie"

The Greek letter π is a symbol used by mathematicians to denote the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.  Rounded to eight decimal places, the number is 3.14159265.  Here's a photo of the symbol baked into a pie crust:

Let's play with numbers as well as words today.  So thinking of 3.14, take a look at the calendar.  March is the 3rd month of the year, and today is the 14th day of March, making this 3-14 or 3/14.  Use a period instead of a dash or a slash, and we get 3.14 making today Pi Day.  Wow!

What do you think of when I say, "Pie"?  Well, you may think of desert, while I'm thinking about lunch.  So take your pick.

Or even better, we could have BOTH pizza pie and an apple pie for desert on this Pi Day and call it a meal.  Yeah, sounds good to me!

Hmm, I haven't added any books today.  Does it matter?  No, not really.

I'll "eat humble pie," if necessary.  You know that phrase means I will humbly apologize, if you aren't happy that I failed to include books in this blog post, right?

It's Pi Day, but not pumpkin pie day or pizza pie day

The Greek letter π (pronounced "pie") is the symbol ("pi") used in mathematics to represent a constant.  The number for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is approximately 3.14159.

Pi Day is an annual celebration of that mathematical constant π and is observed on March 14.  Why?  Because 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant figures of the math sequence.  In 2015, March 14 was celebrated as "Super Pi Day," since 3.1415 is a longer chunk of that number sequence, which is shown in the next illustration as 3.14159265359.

It's not pizza pie day or pumpkin pie day, but you can have one (or both) to celebrate the day, if you'd like.  I think that sounds like a great idea, myself.

National Pi Day

π (the Greek letter pi) is used in math for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter of that circle, or 3.14.  Today is the 14th day of the 3rd month, or simply 3.14 — do you see the connection?

Since the Greek letter π is pronounced exactly like "pie" (the dessert), this has become a day to eat pie and think about math.  Okay, you've already done enough thinking, if you aren't into math.  So let's celebrate the day.  And how do we do that?  By eating pie, of course!  Today, my friend Donna has ordered a pizza pie (Socrates Revenge* from Dewey's Pizza), and I got the dessert pie (key lime pie) from the grocery store.  Even though we'll be socially distanced, eating in our own apartments, we're still doing this together.

* Socrates Revenge is topped with red onions, black and green olives, spinach, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and a blend of mozzarella, fontina, and feta cheeses.

Added late in the day

Another week on the Mindful March calendar

I notice there are two "special" days this week.

* Pi Day is Wednesday 3/14 because pi equals 3.14
(mathematically speaking),
so I shall have pie!  Voila!

* St. Patrick's Day is Saturday 3/17, and I shall wear green.


Continuing week by week through Mindful March:

Click to enlarge so you can read it.

March 12
~ Cultivate a feeling of loving-kindness toward others today.
March 13
~ Stop, breathe, just notice.  Repeat regularly during the day.
March 14
~ Enjoy doing any chores or tasks more mindfully today.
March 15
~ Get outside and notice five things that are beautiful.
March 16
~ If you find yourself rushing, make an effort to slow down.
March 17
~ Have a device-free day and enjoy the space it offers.
March 18
~ Do something creative that absorbs your attention.

Pi Day 3.1415

I went out to lunch with two of my friends, Sheila and Donna, and we got pies.  Mine, as you can see, were chicken pot pie and apple pie.  I put both on the same plate to take this picture.  What's that you say?  Oh, you want to know why both pies are partly eaten?  Do you mean to tell me you've never heard that "life is short, so eat dessert first"?

Someone over there is wondering what "Pi Day 3.1415" in the title has to do with my lunch.  Here's a clue:  "Pi," which is pronounced "pie," is 3.1415.  Most of us had to learn that in math class sometime during our schooling.  The connection is today's date.  March 14, 2015 can be written 3-14-15.  This correspondence between "pi" and today's date won't happen again for another hundred years.  Now that you know, have a ...

To be really cool, eat your pie at 9:26 tonight.