CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Thursday, March 14 marks an annual celebration that combines mathematics and food.
March 14 is Pi Day.
"3.141592653, that's as far as I get," said Monica Metzler, Founder of the Illinois Science Council. "It continues forever and so being abbreviated 3.14, let's call it an internationally celebrated holiday."
This Pi Day is the 10th in a row that the Illinois Science Council has celebrated the abbreviated mathematical constant by encouraging Chicago-area bakeries and restaurants to get in on the fun.
"There are cupcake shops that are offering special, pi-related cupcakes for $3.14. Lots of pizza places are also doing specials. You cannot do any cooking or baking without math and a good understanding of math, so of course those folks get in on it," she said.
Metzler said close to 40 shops are getting in the holiday spirit this year.
"It's wonderful," Metzler said. "Yes, it's an excuse to eat pie and who doesn't love that? But it also sort of makes you think about math and how critical it is to our everyday lives."
The full list of bakeries and restaurants offering pi-themed specicals are below. You can see what each place is offering and the pricing at illinoisscience.org.