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Ides of March

The midpoint of the month, when historical twists remind us of the intrigue and unpredictability of life's twists and turns.

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Capitalize on Shakespeare nostalgia and Roman history intrigue to drive themed dining, costume events, and educational content around March 15th.

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Host a Julius Caesar-themed dinner party with Roman-inspired dishes and wine pairings
Shakespeare costume contest and trivia night celebrating the Ides of March
Ancient Roman history deep-dive: from religious observances to Caesar's assassination
Caesar Salad and Roman feast recipes—recreate history in your kitchen

History

Some people’s familiarity with the Ides of March may be related to 16th century Shakespeare and his famous line “Beware the Ides of March” from his play, Julius Caesar.

But it is actually necessary to go back several hundred years before that, before the turn of the first century, to truly get to the root of this holiday.

Religious observances were celebrated on the Ides of March during Roman times. These may have included feasts as well as sacrifices to the gods, including Jupiter and Anna Perenna in earlier times and later, including Cybele and Attis.

In pre-1st century Rome, the concept of the Ides of March was not only a date for several religious observances, but it was also often considered an important deadline for settling debts.

At the time, the Roman calendar did not use days within the month but, instead, they had three fixed points, including the Nones, the Ides and the Kalends, from which they would count backwards.

The Ides would fall near the middle of the month, usually on the 13th but sometimes on the 15th in March, May, July and October.

The idea was that the dates would correspond with the full moon, but changes in calendars eventually rendered this untrue. The Nones would fall eight days before the Ides and the Kalends was the first of the following month.

Of course, in modern times, one of the most common reasons that people know about the Ides of March is that it was the day on which Julius Caesar was assassinated.

In the year 44 BC, this leader was brutally stabbed to death at a meeting of the Senate, by conspirators that included Brutus, Cassius and dozens of others.

Historical records indicate that Julius Caesar was warned about this date by a “seer”, or one who was considered to have knowledge of the future. A famous exchange between Caesar and the seer is depicted by Shakespeare in his famous play about political intrigue, the betrayal of the title character, Julius Caesar.

Because Brutus was considered to be the ultimate traitor of Julius Caesar, the Ides of March is sometimes referred to as National Brutus Day and it is also celebrated on March 15. Other days related to this one that would be worth checking out include World Theatre Day, which is observed less than two weeks later on March 27, or National Talk Like Shakespeare Day that comes around in late April.

Celebrate and enjoy the Ides of March as a day that gives some attention to history as well as to literature and to the political life in Ancient Rome!

How to celebrate

Host an Ides of March Party

It might be fun to gather a group of thespian friends around to a party and invite them to do their own reading of Julius Caesar in celebration of the Ides of March. They can even dress up as their favorite character from a Shakespeare play for a costume contest where the winner gets a prize. Have fun by playing trivia games or hosting a quiz night that includes questions related to Ancient Roman history, Julius Caesar, or even Shakespeare.

Make Some Ides of March Foods

In celebration of the Ides of March, it might be fun to get creative in the kitchen! Be sure to make and serve various appropriate foods that might go along with a party that honor Caesar as well as Shakespeare. But what kind of dishes might these be? Try out some of these ideas to make a perfect meal for the Ides of March: Pig’s Neck Baked with Apples – this was considered to be Caesar’s favorite dishSavory Caesar’s Mushroom Caps – this mushroom from France can be stuffed with cream cheese and asiago dressingCaesar Salad – perhaps the most well known dish on this list, it was actually named after the chef who created it in the early 1920s Oven-roasted Asparagus – many of the Roman emperors are believed to have enjoyed asparagus as a favorite food Of course, when serving a meal that observes the Ides of March, it is important to make a toast! Ancient Romans would have served their meals with a variety of types of wine, but they traditionally would have mixed it with a little bit of water.

Enjoy Watching a Shakespeare Play

As a nod to the Bard, perhaps the Ides of March would be an ideal time to make plans or book tickets to attend a play by William Shakespeare. Whether performed by a local theater troupe, on the West End in London, or even at a high school, watching Shakespeare brings with it a certain sense of intellect and culture, particularly if the tragedy Julius Caesar is performed on this day. Those who don’t have access to any well-timed Shakespeare plays to be performed live might want to consider putting on one of their own!

Learn More About Julius Caesar

Various days that are connected with historical events offer a perfect opportunity to do some fascinating research and come up with some interesting stories that can even be shared – and the Ides of March is no different! In celebration of this auspicious and somewhat tragic day, perhaps it would be interesting to do some online research about the topic. Or, even better, head over to the local library to pick up some books about Ancient Rome that feature some history about Julius Caesar.

FAQ

How did the Roman calendar use the Nones, Ides, and Kalends instead of numbered days?

In the traditional Roman calendar, days were not counted forward from 1 to 30 or 31. Instead, three fixed reference points structured every month: the Kalends (the first day of the month), the Nones (usually the 5th, or the 7th in March, May, July, and October), and the Ides (usually the 13th, or the 15th in those same four months). Other dates were expressed by counting backward inclusively from one of these markers, such as “three days before the Ides of March.” This system grew out of an older lunar calendar, where the Kalends were linked to the new moon, the Nones to the first quarter, and the Ides to the full moon.

Why was the Ides of March connected with paying debts in ancient Rome?

The Ides of each month, including March, often served as a regular due date for debts and rents because it fell near the middle of the month and originally aligned with the full moon, which marked a clear, visible point in the lunar cycle. In a largely agrarian and religious society, financial life was closely tied to the calendar of festivals and celestial markers. Over time, the Ides became a conventional deadline for settling accounts, so the Ides of March carried not just religious meaning but also practical economic importance.

What religious festivals did Romans celebrate around the Ides of March?

The Ides of March was a busy day on the Roman religious calendar. It was sacred to Jupiter, and ancient sources describe a white sheep, the ovis Idulis, being led along the Via Sacra and sacrificed by Jupiter’s high priest. The date was also associated with the festival of Anna Perenna, a goddess of the year, which involved feasting and drinking outside the city to mark the turning of the seasonal cycle. In the imperial period, the Ides of March became connected with rites for Cybele and Attis, including the cutting of a sacred pine that symbolized Attis and prepared the way for later springtime rebirth rituals.

Was the Ides of March considered unlucky before Julius Caesar’s time?

Evidence suggests that before 44 BCE the Ides of March was not viewed as an especially unlucky date. It was a routine religious and social occasion linked to Jupiter and to seasonal celebrations like the festival of Anna Perenna. Its later reputation for misfortune comes largely from the political crisis surrounding Julius Caesar’s assassination and the way that event was remembered in Roman literature and, much later, in works like Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” Earlier Romans would likely have seen the day as important and sacred, but not inherently ominous.

How accurate is Shakespeare’s “Beware the Ides of March” compared with ancient sources?

Shakespeare’s warning line is dramatic, but it simplifies and reshapes older accounts. Ancient writers like Suetonius and Plutarch report that a seer, often named Spurinna, warned Caesar that great danger would come by the Ides of March. They also describe Caesar meeting the seer on that day and remarking that the Ides had arrived, to which the seer replied that they had come but not yet gone. Shakespeare turns this material into a single, memorable phrase that captures the sense of foreboding, even though no ancient text records the exact words “Beware the Ides of March.”

Did the Ides always fall on the 15th of the month in the Roman calendar?

The Ides did not always fall on the 15th. In the Roman system, the Ides landed on the 15th day only in March, May, July, and October. In all the other months, the Ides fell on the 13th. This pattern reflected the attempt to align the calendar with the phases of the moon, placing the Ides near the full moon. The phrase “Ides of March” is so famous that it can give the mistaken impression that all Ides were on the 15th, but that was true only for those four months.

How did the Ides of March fit into Rome’s original New Year cycle?

In the early Roman calendar, the year began in March, so the Ides of March marked the first full moon of the new year and carried special seasonal weight. It came at the start of spring, when military campaigns resumed and agricultural activity increased. The religious festivals, public business, and debt settlements clustered around the date reflected this sense of a fresh cycle beginning. Even after later calendar reforms moved the civil New Year to January, the March Ides retained traces of its older role as a turning point in Rome’s ritual and political life.