Andres Rivera
Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day are well known and celebrated with many activities. But, there are few people who know of a holiday that falls in between the two. This little known day is Pi Day.
Pi Day is celebrated March 14 by math departments nation wide in recognition of their favorite number, pi (π). The official celebration of Pi Day usually occurs at 1:59 p.m., otherwise known as “Pi o’clock,” an approximation of the number, 3.14159.
“It has been celebrated around the world for quite a few years now by many institutions, academic and otherwise, as a salute to the importance of this magical and almost mystical constant,” Michael Frantz, professor of mathematics, said.
In Windom, Minn., Pi Day is celebrated with math related activities and by singing Pi Day songs. Lyrics have been tailored around the number pi to the tunes of “Happy Birthday,” “Oh Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bells.”
“Oh, number Pi/ Oh, number Pi/ Your digits are unending,/ Oh, number Pi/ Oh, number Pi/ No pattern are you sending.”
Just like any other holiday, Web sites sell Pi Day memorabilia. Some of the products that can be bought by Pi Day enthusiasts are t-shirts, mugs and posters. On other Web sites, Pi Day e-cards can be sent to pi lovers everywhere.
Tera Taylor, a freshman broadcast journalism major, was introduced to Pi Day by the math department in Desert Hot Springs High School her sophomore year. “During Pi Day, they gave a slice of pie to the top students,” Taylor said. “Others could buy pie for like a dollar.”
The symbol for pi, which was first used in 1706, will have its 300th anniversary next year. Those interested in celebrating Pi Day may mark their calendars, download the lyrics to Pi Day songs from www.winternet.com/~mchristi/piday.html and sing along with many others at “Pi o’ clock.”
Andres Rivera can be reached at arivera3@ulv.edu.
