Pi Day, celebrated annually on March 14, is a special day dedicated to the mathematical constant Pi, which is approximately 3.14. It is an infinite, nonrepeating decimal, meaning it continues forever without a pattern, and science has discovered and confirmed more than 105 trillion digits of Pi! The holiday often involves eating actual pie, and the date 3/14 corresponds to the first three digits, hence the celebration on March 14. Pi Day dates back to 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw organized a celebration to make mathematics more fun and relatable. Interestingly, Pi Day is also Albert Einstein’s Birthday!
I decided to dig a little deeper into Pi Day and interviewed several people from different schools in my community to see how the holiday is celebrated. What I found was that Pi Day is more than just a silly math event, it’s a fun and motivating way to make learning feel exciting.
BCHS
I started my interviews at Bourbon County High School (BCHS), where I talked to Mrs. Varney, a math teacher. She was very excited to share how Pi Day is celebrated in her class! Mrs. Varney explained that “the students do a bunch of different activities and games that help them learn about Pi while having fun at the same time.” The best part is that everyone gets to compete and learn together, which makes the whole experience way more enjoyable. She also said that events like Pi Day “help students see that math isn’t just about numbers and that it can be fun, too.”
BCES
At Bourbon Central Elementary School, Pi Day was just as exciting, but for a different reason. Ms. Danita, one of the staff members, mentioned how the teachers joined in on the fun by enjoying pies together. This small act of sharing pies boosted everyone’s energy and made the whole day feel festive. Ms. Hurst, another teacher, brought in pies for her students, making sure everyone got a little treat. It was a great way to keep the school spirit high while celebrating math!
BCMS
Next, I visited Bourbon County Middle School, where I spoke with Ms. Livingood. She told me about the history of Pi Day and how it was started in 1988 by a physicist at a science museum in California. The middle schoolers had a blast with their own Pi Day event, which included a fun contest where students voted on which teacher would get pied in the face. The winner was Mr. Hodge, and the students loved watching him get hit with a pie. In addition to the pie contest, teachers wore special Pi Day shirts, and students participated in a sing-along video that taught them the first 100 digits of Pi. There was even a contest to see who could remember the most digits, which made learning about Pi’s infinite numbers a lot more fun!
BCPHS
I also visited Bourbon County Preschool Head Start, and I was amazed at how even the youngest kids were introduced to Pi. Despite being just 3 or 4 years old, the preschoolers were able to grasp some pretty cool concepts about Pi. They watched a short animated video and learned how to identify the diameter and circumference of a circle. They even made connections to everyday things like pancakes, pizza, and pie. It was clear that the kids were excited to talk about Pi, with some of them even proudly saying things like, “3.14!” or “Pi is a lot of numbers!”
Overall, when you look at how Pi Day is celebrated at different schools, it’s obvious that this holiday does a lot more than just honor a mathematical constant. It brings people together, makes learning more enjoyable, and shows that math can be fun, regardless of age. From preschoolers to high schoolers, Pi Day helps students connect with math in a way that’s both educational and entertaining. It’s a perfect example of how something simple can turn into a celebration of learning and curiosity.
