Everyone Can Participate in Pi Day 2023

Pi Day is almost here. This annual “fun holiday” comes around each year on March 14th and it remains one of my favorite calendar events. In case you are not aware, the first three digits of the mathematical constant, π, is 3.14 which lines up very well with March 14th (03/14). While I consider Pi Day to be a mathematical holiday, it is a day that everyone can participate in and enjoy.

Pi has many uses in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)! One of its best known uses is used in an equation to calculate the area and the circumference of a circle. The constant, pi, is also used to answer questions about almost anything circular or spherical. Over the years those circles have evolved into pies, and many of your local restaurants and bakeries have gotten onboard and are offering many incentives and discounts to help you celebrate Pi Day. Pi Day does not discriminate against anyone, and encourages everyone to get together to discuss the significance of this irrational number in life and society.

Here’s a Pi Day joke for you: Did you know that 3.14% of sailors are Pi-rates?

Pi Day has definitely increased in popularity over the past 20 years. I look forward to a post from Good Housekeeping Magazine listing the best Pi Day deals at restaurants and other eating establishments. Good Housekeeping did not disappoint. You can find a listing of this information in their March 6, 2023 post: The Best Pi Day Deals and Freebies of 2023 on Pizza, Pies and More.

NASA will celebrate its 10th annual Pi Day Challenge. If you are a student in grades K-12, or an educator for these grade levels, or someone who is interested in this event, the 10th Annual NASA Pi Day Challenge is happening now. NASA also informs us that the answers to their questions and challenges will be landing on March 15th. NASA recognized an opportunity to celebrate Pi Day with schools, students, science centers and other interested persons in the United States by using the day as a teaching moment with plenty of fun and excitement. More importantly, pi is used throughout the STEM world – especially for space exploration! The folks at NASA realized that Pi Day is a reason to celebrate the mathematical wonder that helps NASA explore the universe. They are giving students a chance to join in the fun by using pi to explore Earth and space themselves.

Another thing that is so great about Pi Day: You can have your pi and eat it too!

Remember, Pi Day is almost here! It’s going round!