CHICAGO — The American Pie Council will recognize National Pie Day on Jan. 23 by encouraging people to take, bake or buy a pie for someone else. In promoting the day, the A.P.C. has posted discount coupons and recipes on its web site at www.piecouncil.org.

"There’s something touching about giving someone a gift as special as a pie," said Linda Hoskins, executive director of the A.P.C. "When you picture troops receiving pies as they rolled through a train depot in the Midwest, or recall a time when neighbors shared pies to reflect a treasured friendship or recognize the strength of a close-knit community, it all brings to mind a comforting sense of nostalgia and kindness. So as our members discussed it, we realized we had the ability to help rekindle those connections."