A berry pie with the pi symbol baked into the crust, shot from above on a white surface.

SCIENCEThe Irrational Number That Somehow Became the World’s Most Beloved Holiday4 min read

A berry pie with the pi symbol baked into the crust, shot from above on a white surface.

Other Ways to Honor the Same Number

March 14 isn’t the only option. Pi Approximation Day lands on July 22 — because 22/7 is the classic fraction approximation of pi, and written in day/month format, that’s 22/7. November 10 works too: it’s the 314th day of a non-leap year. Some people take their pi celebrations wherever they can get them.

And then there’s Tau Day, June 28. Tau — the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its radius — equals 2π, or roughly 6.28, making June 28 the obvious candidate. The unofficial tradition calls for double portions of pie. If you’re going to celebrate a number, celebrate it properly.

A calendar with March 14 highlighted in blue and 'Pi Day' written in red with pi digits.
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