Beware the Ides of March?

I couldn't help myself posting on another one of those special days--the Ides of March.  I'm sure many of us are aware of the expression from reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in high school or college English classes; the soothsayer forewarned Caesar to "beware the Ides of March."  More recently, we may be aware of the phrase from the George Clooney movie, The Ides of March.

What the heck are "the ides" anyway?  According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, ides refer to the 15th day of March, May, July, or October, or the 13th day of any other month in the Roman calendar.  With that in mind, "The Ides of March" is just a fancy and brainy way of saying March 15th.

So why do we pay attention to the Ides of March and not to the Ides of any other month?  The number one reason is probably the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15th in 44 BC.  A lesser known reason is the Festival of Anna Perenna, the Roman goddess of long life, renewal, health, and plenty, which took place on March 15.

Today we generally regard the Ides of March in a negative context sometimes associated with political intrigues.  It's one of those days during which to take extra care, like Friday the 13th (you can sense a future blog post in the making).

If anything, I'm hoping the Ides of March are treating you better than they did Caesar.  Hey, if you're reading this blog post at least you're breathing, and that's a good thing.

Thinking of ways to celebrate the Ides of March on the perch.