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What Is September 7 On 'Pretty Little Liars'?

by Maggie Malach

Raise your hand if you're still processing the Pretty Little Liars summer finale in which we found out who is A. Consider this your official spoiler warning because I'm about to discuss so many things we learned in the episode. In typical Pretty Little Liars fashion, we got one answer, but were left with so many more questions about A and what's been happening in Rosewood. One of the biggest lingering thoughts: Why is Sept. 7 so important to Big A?

First things first: In the episode, we learned that Big A is CeCe Drake. While fans got a glimpse at how A came to be, we also learned that the date Sept. 7 is significant for CeCe. We were treated to this little nugget of info when the Liars were trying to break into A's lair at the Carissimi Group. After Mona casually spouts off a birth date she creepily happens to know, Sara Harvey suggests Sept. 7. When the password works, Sara mentions that when she was trapped in the Dollhouse, A gave her a red, white, and blue cupcake every year on that date — even though it wasn't the Fourth of July. Now we're left to wonder what significance Sept. 7 can hold.

Before we can completely delve into that, it's important to note that later in the episode it was revealed that Sara is working with CeCe. In other words, the cupcake story could be a total sham and Sara could have just known the password because she's working for A. Assuming that the cupcake story holds, here are some possible reasons that Sept. 7 could be important to CeCe.

One of the obvious answers is that I could be her birthday. However, CeCe leaves a note for Mr. DiLaurentis (signed "Charles"), saying she's coming home for her birthday. Seeing as the summer finale coincided with Rosewood High's prom, chances are CeCe's birthday is in the spring, ruling out Sept. 7.

According to this handy Pretty Little Liars timeline, Ali went missing on Sept. 1. Mona helped her go into hiding on Sept. 2, but that doesn't answer how Sept. 7 comes into play. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a connection there somehow that we'll learn in the upcoming season.

September is still a pretty significant month in Pretty Little Liars history. Recall that the Aria, Hanna, Spencer and Emily were brought into the game one year after Ali's disappearance. That would have made it September. A few significant moments in the pilot episode could be connected to Sept. 7. The first is the actual start of the game, when the Liars began receiving messages from A. It certainly set the show in motion, so that would be a valid reason. The second event is Ali's funeral. Well, what we thought was Ali's funeral. We don't have the dates of either of those events, although it's legit that either could have happened on Sept. 7.

Let's not overlook the symbolism of the "red, white and blue" cupcake. There's a reason the Pretty Little Liars writers included that detail and my best guess is that it's representative of A's independence. There's so many times that this could represent. It could be when CeCe began going by Charlotte and presenting as a woman, when CeCe gets to leave Radley for college classes, when she begins the game. The list goes on and on, but knowing A's knack for pageantry, it wouldn't be surprising if the date marked freedom to CeCe in some way.

Here's hoping we find out the real meaning sooner rather than later. In the meantime, let the theorizing begin!

And for more Pretty Little Liars theories, check out Bustle's Pretty Little Liars podcast:

Images: ABC Family (screenshot); Giphy (2)