A social guide to the Ides of March

It’s the ides of March, the day Uncle Shakespeare warned you about all those years ago in school. Just in case you’re not aware, you’re supposed to beware it.

Technology to the rescue!

If you’re willing to stretch things a bit, it’s a holiday of sorts, commemorating the day 2,060 years ago when Julius Caesar got stabbed in the back – and the front, and the side, the top and pretty much everywhere else.

It’s famous primarily thanks to William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar,” in which a soothsayer warns the Roman leader to “beware the ides of March,” which in the parlance of the times just meant the middle of the month (every other month had an ides, too).

But the true meaning has gotten lost, according to some:

Like any holiday, there are the traditional activities …

… and the traditional meals …

… although this is a holiday where things can get weird, fast:

In election years, the ides are often associated with political downfalls – perhaps a notable point on such an important day in the U.S. presidential nominating process.

So, if you’re headed out to vote, or if you’re a candidate, prepare:

If you want to be super safe, you can just stay home:

But don’t think you can escape the ides of March by tuning out today. Oh, no, the ides will live on for days, maybe even weeks, on the politics pages.