When most people think of holidays in March, they typically think of St. Patrick’s day on the 17th. Mathematically minded folks may even enjoy pie day on the 14th, and gamers will give a little fist bump on Mario day on the 10th.
Although our family celebrates all of those special days, we also celebrate a more unusual noteworthy day: the Ides of March on the 15th.
Yes, I know, it’s weird to think a Roman assassination is a good reason to have a party. But honestly, do you really need a reason to have a good time? Here’s how we observe the Ides of March.
What Are the Ides of March?
For a little context, the ides of March marked multiple religious occasions for the Romans, including the Feast of Anna Perenna (essentially the new year festival) and Marnuralia (another ritual that marked the transition from the old year to the new). It was a time for many to settle their debts, and it was a time of rebirth.
But the Ides of March also marks the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. A seer warned Caesar about the harm that would come to him, and Shakespeare famously dramatized the warning with the line, “Beware the Ides of March.” As many 60 conspirators were involved in his death.
Our Family Traditions
My family enjoys Roman history, and we have nothing against Shakespeare’s plays. But to this day, I’m still not sure why we started the tradition of celebrating the Ides of March as its own little holiday. Perhaps it started as a joke. Maybe it started as a way to brighten the otherwise boring workday. Whatever the reason, we’ve started to incorporate the following traditions into our mini holiday:
Food
Julius Caesar is the center of the day, so we plan our food around his name. We order Little Caesar’s pizza and have a side of Caesar salad. If you’re feeling fancy, you could expound on the assassination theme and make fruit skewers or red velvet lava cupcakes that “bleed” when you bite into them (a little macabre, but all in good fun). Orange Julius also makes for a fun dessert.
Entertainment
We love watching the movie Hail, Caesar! * It’s definitely a family favorite that doesn’t get old with repeat viewings. However, the Caesar theme in this movie isn’t particularly strong. If you really want to lean into the Ides of March theme for your party, you may want to consider watching the play Julius Caesar. Different adaptations are available to stream online, so feel free to check those out.
Games
The murder of Julius Caesar calls for a solid murder game. If you’re into card games and board games, Mafia and Clue are a good place to start. If you’re more of a digital gamer, Assassin’s Creed: Origins features Gaius Julius Caesar as a character.
Of course, we don’t always have time to all of these every year. Some years we keep it chill and just order a pizza. Other years we just watch the movie or play a game. This year we kept it pretty minimal because I struggle to watch an entire movie with my newborn keeping me busy, and we didn’t want to spook our daughter with too much focus on murder.
Do You Observe Ides of March?
I know the Ides of March isn’t as well known as St. Patrick’s day, but I love hearing about family traditions. Do you celebrate the Ides of March? What fun activities or food do you incorporate into the holiday? Feel free to share ideas in the comment section below.
*I am an Amazon Associate, and I earn a small commission for affiliate links. I’m not paid to recommend specific products, however. I just really enjoy watching the movie.
