Pi Day: Infinite Digits, Bad Jokes, and an Excuse for Dessert

Welcome Back, Chan

Look, I had a busy week. College is college, my car broke down on the interstate, and frankly, life happens. But hey, here we are! What’s up, folks?

At the time of writing this, it’s 03/14/2025, which means it’s National Pi Day—not to be confused with actual pie (though we’ll get there).

Pi (π) is a mathematical constant that basically refuses to behave. The only digits you really need to know are 3.14, but it actually goes on forever—an infinite number that just keeps running like a Netflix show that should’ve ended three seasons ago.

The technical definition? Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. No matter how big or small the circle, this ratio is always 3.14… and then some.

Look, I could go full nerd mode, but that’s not why you’re here. You want to hear about Pi Day itself—the excuse to eat dessert and pretend math is fun for 24 hours.

Hurry Up, Chan… I Want to Eat Some Pie.

Alright, alright. Here’s the game plan:

A Brief (and Unnecessary) History of Pi Day
Pi Day Traditions: What People Actually Do
Why Pi Is Cooler Than You Think (But Not Really)
How to Celebrate Pi Day Like a Champ
Final Thoughts: Wrapping Up This Mathematical Madness

Strap in. Let’s go.

A Brief (and Unnecessary) History of Pi Day

Who Started This Madness?

Meet Larry Shaw, aka the Prince of Pi (not official, but it should be). He was a hippie physicist with a solid beard who worked at the San Francisco Exploratorium—a cool hands-on science museum.

One day, Shaw had an epiphany: March 14 = 3/14 = the first three digits of Pi. Instead of just shrugging and moving on, he did what any fun-loving nerd would do—he threw a party.

And because Pi and pizza are both circles, he made sure they were on the menu. (See? Math can be fun.) The Exploratorium also paraded around in circles, ate more pie, and—why not—sang happy birthday to Albert Einstein, because yes, March 14 is also Einstein’s birthday.

Pi Day started small, but Larry Shaw had a vision: make math more fun and accessible. And honestly, if it involves eating pie, we’re all on board.

So When Did Pi Day Go Mainstream?

Fast-forward to 2009, when Congress officially recognized Pi Day—because, apparently, they had nothing better to do.

Now, Pi Day is an actual thing. Schools, bakeries, and math nerds worldwide keep the tradition alive.

Pi Day Traditions: What People Actually Do

1. Eating Pie (Obviously).

This is the best part. You stare at the perfect circumference of an apple pie, nod respectfully at the mathematical significance, and then devour it. Repeat as needed.

2. Making Terrible Math Jokes.

If you’re celebrating Pi Day properly, you’re dropping some cringe-worthy math puns. Example:

Question: What was Sir Isaac Newton’s favorite dessert?
Answer: Apple pi (π).

…I’ll see myself out.

3. Trying (and Failing) to Memorize Pi.

Some people treat Pi like a personal challenge and try to recite as many digits as possible. For reference, a guy named Rajveer Meena once memorized 70,000 digits of Pi.

For what reason? Unclear. But hey, respect.

4. Schools Pretending Math Is Fun for One Day.

Shoutout to all the teachers who break out Pi-themed activities and free pie for students. Honestly, the pie was the only thing keeping me engaged.

Why Pi Is Cooler Than You Think (But Not Really)

It’s irrational—just like your ex.
Translation: It can’t be written as a simple fraction. The decimal expansion goes on forever.

It pops up in weird places.
Circles? Obviously. But Pi also appears in physics, engineering, nature, and even the way planets orbit the sun.

It’s basically the universe’s cheat code.
Pi is one of the most fundamental constants in math and science, but what do we do with it? Put it on T-shirts and eat pie. Humanity, folks.

How to Celebrate Pi Day Like a Champ

Eat more pie. (Again, this is the most important tradition.)

Challenge someone to recite Pi past 3.14. (Watch them crash and burn around the 7th digit.)

Tell people you love math. (Even if you still use a calculator for basic division.)

Start an unnecessary debate: Cake vs. Pie. (The correct answer is pie.)

Final Thoughts: Wrapping Up This Mathematical Madness

So, what did we learn today?

The history of Pi Day (shoutout to Larry Shaw, the Prince of Pi).
The weird and wonderful traditions people follow.
Why Pi is kind of cool, even if we don’t really need all those digits in daily life.
How to celebrate it like a pro (hint: eat more pie).

Now, enough reading—go forth and celebrate mathematics the best way possible: by eating an unnecessary amount of dessert.