National Yellow Pig Day is a holiday that falls on July 17th and is a day on which people honor the number 17. It’s a holiday with a kind of crazy history and originated with two mathematicians who brainstormed the unique properties of the number 17. They not only ended up inventing a holiday by the end of their brainstorming session but also ended up inventing a mythical yellow pig as well. Confused? Well, join the club. Just remember this is a day to give thought to the number 17 and yellow pigs.

The History of National Yellow Pig Day

National Yellow Pig Day originated during the 1960s by two mathematicians. These two mathematicians were David Kelly and Michael Spivak, who were busy analyzing the random properties of the number 17. During their brainstorming session, they also ended up thinking about yellow pigs, or to be more precise, creating a mythical 17-eyelashed yellow pig. The result is a holiday that’s weird, confusing, and kind of nerdy all at the same time.

Facts About the Number 17

Don’t think that the number 17 has any meaning in our lives? Well, it probably doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t extraordinary instances of this number popping up in our daily lives. Below are some cases of the number 17 showing up unexpectedly.

• In the Bible, the number 17 is used 13 times.
• In the Bible, the flood started on the 17th.
• The French Revolution took place in 1789 (17, 8+9=17).
• King Tutankhamun’s mummy was wrapped in 17 sheets.
• The Pantheon has 17 columns.
• A magazine for girls is named Seventeen.
• Carl Lewis won 9 Olympic gold medals and 8 World Championship medals for a total of 17 gold medals.
• In Italy, the number 17 is considered an unlucky number.
• The Roman numeral for 17 is written as XVII.
• If you make an anagram out of the Roman numeral for 17, you get VIXI. This word means “I have lived.”
• Heptadecaphobia is a fear of the number 17.
• Chlorine has an atomic number of 17.
• There are 17 syllables in a Haiku.
• According to Homer, Odysseus floated on a raft for 17 days after leaving Calypso—the nymph who held him hostage.

Observing National Yellow Pig Day

The yellow pig has become quite popular among mathematicians and artists alike on this day, so feel free to draw or paint some pictures of yellow pigs on this day. During National Yellow Pig Day, you can also look for places where the number 17 might be hiding, or just spend the day writing out your prime numbers. While you’re celebrating this holiday, don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationalYellowPigDay on your social media accounts.