The Origins of Yellow Pig Day

Sorry, it's been running through my brain all day. What in the world is Yellow Pig(s) Day?

According to Holiday Insights http://www.holidayinsights.com/

"Yellow Pig Day is a mathematician's holiday celebrating yellow pigs (is there such a thing!?!), and the number 17. It is celebrated annually since the early 1960's, primarily on college campuses, and primarily by mathematicians. On campus, Yellow Pig Cake and Yellow Pig Carols are tradition!

If you are a mathematician, spend part of the day thinking and working in multiples of 17. And, while you do so, give a little thought to yellow pigs.

The Yellow Pig was the brainstorm of mathematicians Michael Spivak and David C. Kelly in the early 1960's. They were students at Princeton University, studying mathematics. History was made as they were listing interesting properties of the number 17 (can you imagine the interesting properties!?). During this thought wave, the yellow pig was born. Most likely, it had 17 toes, 17 teeth, 17 eyelashes, etc. The yellow pig and the number 17 have been linked ever since."

And this bit from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/

"Yellow Pigs Day, held annually on July 17, is a humorous celebration created and observed by mathematicians at Hampshire College and HCSSiM. The day is marked by exchanging gifts relating to yellow pigs or mathematics, singing yellow pig songs, and playing Ultimate.
Yellow Pigs Day was started by Michael Spivak and David C. Kelly. Spivak's published books include easter egg references to yellow pigs, and Kelly maintains an extensive collection of yellow pigs. In 2006, Hampshire College held a Yellow Pig Math Days conference, as part of the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics program."

Obiously this is not a Kosher Holiday. As far as I know, except for Chapter and Verse numbers, the number 17 only appears in the Scripture 9 times.

Genesis 37:2 (NRSV)[2] This is the story of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.

Genesis 47:28 (NRSV)[28] Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.

1 Kings 14:21 (NRSV)[21] Now Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite.

2 Kings 13:1 (NRSV)[1] In the twenty-third year of King Joash son of Ahaziah of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria; he reigned seventeen years.

1 Chronicles 7:11 (NRSV)[11] All these were the sons of Jediael according to the heads of their ancestral houses, mighty warriors, seventeen thousand two hundred, ready for service in war.
2 Chronicles 12:13 (NRSV)[13] So King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite.

Jeremiah 32:9 (NRSV)[9] And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver.

These refer to the lists of returned exiles.
Ezra 2:39 (NRSV)[39] Of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

Nehemiah 7:42 (NRSV)[42] Of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

I told you it would be random.