The Popcorn Stand: Potato chips and pi

Today is National Potato Chip Day, so of course we can’t let this day pass without paying homage to the potato chip. Today is also National Pi Day, which is not to be confused with National Pie Day, which somehow we missed this year as National Pie Day happens on Jan. 23.

National Pi Day of course is today which is 3/14 and of course the value of Pi is 3.14. So today math teachers all across the country are providing plenty of creative math activities for their students. But those who like pie don’t miss out on celebrating today as there are pie recipes to celebrate Pi Day.

So today students all across the country can take part in eating potato chips and pie while solving math problems. There are plenty of suggestions on how to celebrate National Pi Day such as eating pie and holding pie eating contests.

March 14 is actually a pretty busy day when it comes to those who want to declare their own holidays as today is also Learn More About Butterflies Day.

Mid-march is actually a pretty good time for Butterflies Day as this is the time of year we start to plant flowers — or at least start to think about planting flowers — for the upcoming spring. And of course butterflies depend on flowers so the more flowers, the better it is for butterflies.

The butterfly is really an amazing species. What was it I heard in school, something like a butterfly in a rain forest in Brazil can start a snow storm in Northern Nevada? I’m not exactly sure about that. But butterflies are still amazing. There’s 20,000 types of butterflies, including the Monarch butterfly, which can travel thousands of miles.

Maybe I won’t be able to chase butterflies today, but I’ll be thinking of them while I’ll eat my potato chips and then finish of 3.14 percent of my pie.

— Charles Whisnand