St. Nicholas, on whom the figure of Santa Claus was based, was born on the Ides of March in 270, making March 15 a day that will live in infamy….. no, that’s not right .
I’m sure other bad things have happened in March besides the murder of Julius Caesar, but they haven’t cursed the day like Julius’s murder. But nonetheless, “Beware the Ides of March” stuck and the words branded the phrase, and the date, March 15, with a dark and gloomy connotation. Most of the time the way the phrase is used today makes it seem like the day itself is cursed.
Way back when, the Roman year began in March and originally the Ides were the day of the first full moon each year.
The Romans didn’t number days of the month but counted back from the Nones (5th or 7th,) Ides (13th or 15th) and kalends (1st of the next month.) In March, July, October and May the Ides fall on the “15th day.”
So the Ides of March is the 74th day in the ancient Roman calendar, corresponding to March 15 — nothing more.
The popular story is a soothsayer told Caesar to “beware the Ides of March,” but historians think that Caesar was warned that his life was in danger by a haruspex called Spurinna. A haruspex was a religious official that based his predictions on the entrails of sacrificed animals. Because of Spurinna’s high status, he would’ve known about the anti-Caesar sentiment at the time since the ruler had transformed the society into a dictatorship. So the prediction was probably a calculated judgement rather than a prophecy.
I’m sure you’ll probably be ok this Ides of March, but look both ways before you cross the street, just to be on the safe side….
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