Life

How To Celebrate Pi Day 2017

by Kendall Wood

In grade school, Pi Day was celebrated like an unofficial holiday. Mar. 14 meant classroom parties all day in the name of celebrating the irrational number 3.14 and the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Who didn't love getting to the bottom of a good math equation at age eight?

Honestly, if you can even remember what Pi is used for, you deserved that A+ you so rightly received on your report card all those years in a row. Most, however, remember Pi Day as the one school day a year that meant eating all the pizza and pie you could muster before physically making yourself sick. Now, the closest thing you likely consistently have to Pi Day is the day after a long night out, spent wasting away on the couch with dry mouth and a pounding headache, when your only salvation is pizza and sweets. Heck yeah, adulthood!

Even if you aren't keen on math, can't keep a checkbook, and don't know how to do your taxes, you deserve a slice of the fun on Pi Day 2017. Here are eleven ways to celebrate 3.14.

Host A Pie-Eating Contest

Good luck naming a single person who doesn't love pie in one of its many varieties. Invite everyone you know, and get messy as hell with some delicious pie — savory, sweet, hot, or cold. Try this Chilled Dark Chocolate Pie with Toasted Almond Crust and Strawberry Vanilla Compote from Oh She Glows to truly blow the crowd away.

School Everyone In A Bake-Off

In the name of eating all the pie you physically can, ask everyone to bring over their favorite homemade pie and have a bake-off. The competition doesn't stand a chance if you aim high with this No-Bake Butterfinger Pie from Brown-Eyed Baker. Wipe the drool off your chin.

Try This Girl-Scout-Inspired Samoa Cookie Pie

If this were a joke, it would be the meanest joke ever told. Luckily, it's very real, which means it's time to take your love of Samoa cookies to the highest level imaginable with this recipe from Averie Cooks. Layers of chocolate, cookie, caramel, coconut, and more chocolate in every single bite? Sign me up, Girl Scout.

Offer To Serve Pie At A Soup Kitchen

Spread the wealth of the love for chocolate, pudding, and pie by putting them all together in this recipe for Chocolate Pudding Pies from My Baking Addiction. These are easier to hand out than cut slices of pie, and everyone will feel special because they get their very own. You'll feel good about yourself and pie, without even eating it.

Bake Pie For Pets

Furry friends deserve a piece of the action, too! Get your canine or feline kids involved in the Pi Day celebrations with this recipe from The Scrumptious Pumpkin. There's really nothing they won't eat, so even if you royally mess this one up, it'll be OK — we promise.

Sink Your Teeth Into This Peanut Butter Pie

Think Reese's Peanut Butter cups on crack. There will be no turning back once you've taken a bite of this Peanut Butter Pie from My Baking Addiction. Seriously, this is a formal warning. If you try this pie, you will put away the whole thing with one spoon to one mouth, in one sitting.

Hit Up The Best Local Pie Joint

Every city has that special spot, whether it's the decades-old bakery on the corner, a diner that serves some of the best homemade pies, or a restaurant with a secret recipe for the good stuff. Find the joint with the most promise and B-line for the door. If you're lucky, you'll find a place serving up slices of heaven like this Crack Pie from Averie Cooks.

Taste-Test Pie From As Many Restaurants As Possible

For the true foodies and pie lovers, one slice is never enough. Aim higher! Set out to hit at least five of the best spots around your hood and make a day of it. There are technically three meals in a day, but if you eat smaller portions, you can get away with somewhere around six — do that. Search for a replica of this Bourbon Pecan Pie with Dark Chocolate from Joy The Baker, and you don't be disappointed.

Recreate Grade-School Lessons At Home

Measure the circumference of your pies, pizzas, plates, and more using Pi at home, and have fun with it — especially if there are tiny ones who somehow get by without paying rent to live with you. Keep it fun and classic with this Dutch Apple Pie from Brown-Eyed Baker.

Hand Out Pocket-Sized Pies To As Many People As You Can

It's all about the love of circular foods on Mar. 14. Bake up a batch of these cherry and apple hand pies from The Comfort Of Cooking, and share the love! Pass one to every friend and coworker you come across; hand one over to your daily barista; gift one to the bodega on the corner; and offer to give one to the less fortunate who frequent your area. There's more than enough to go around.

Enjoy This Savory Artichoke, Kale, & Ricotta Pie

If pizza isn't your thing because you're some kind of rare breed, try a savory pie for Pi Day dinner to keep up with traditions. This Artichoke, Kale, and Ricotta pie from The Kitchn checks off all the boxes: healthy, filling, and delicious. Everyone will be surprised and satisfied!

However you choose to celebrate, don't skimp on Pi Day traditions. This special "holiday" only rolls around once a year, which means you have 24 hours to feel less than guilty about indulging in carb glory.