Beware The Ides of June

So this is the only Friday the 13th in 2014. And it's a full moon. That won't happen again until 2049. Not sure why it's a big deal, particularly since last time I checked we get a full moon every month - so if my calculations are correct, we might have another one next month, and maybe even 12 every year, and sometimes as many as 13. Cool.

As for Fridays, even though it sometimes doesn't feel like it, I'm sure we get one of those every single week; occasionally a handful of them every month.

As for the 13ths, well, they only come once per month - just like that full moon thing. And they tend to happen about 12 times a year. If we occasionally had 13 of them, now that would be pretty odd.

But something I haven't seen discussed (despite the Friday the 13th / Full Moon lining up), is the fact that today is also the Ides of June.

Yes - in that play where Julius is warned to beware the Ides of March, Shakespeare was talking about the 15th. The Ides are part of a Roman calendar designation associated with the phases of the moon, with the Kalends (the 1st), the Ides (the 13th or the 15th), and the Nones (the 5th or the 7th) The way it all lines up, the Ides land on the 15th of March and 13th of June.

Friday the 13th isn't just a long running movie franchise. It has been a tradition for the small Ontario town of Port Dover to have motorcycles descend upon it since 1981 when a group of about twenty-five friends and bikers got together on that date in Dover, had a ton of fun and decided to do it every Friday the 13th. It kind of grew from there into the extravaganza it is today.

Around 2001 or so was when Francine and I started our own Friday the 13th tradition, which we called our Friday the 13th Hot Luck. We served, beer, wine and other bevies and invited friends over to share their favourite hot and spicy dish. It could get a little stupid sometimes, with recipes designed less for spicy food enjoyment and more to see if we could make the other person cry or stick their head in the pool or chew on the fence or some similar activity to try to soothe the burning hot pain on their tongue and lips.

One of the many Friday the 13th gatherings at the old Chateau Leslie

Some of the fun recipes I've used on Friday the 13ths include my infamous blackout ribs (originally made during the blackout of 2003), then, the less intense but wonderfully tasty rib sauce recipe; as well as a wonderful killer home-made pizza using a crazy sauce and fiery hot Hungarian salami from Denningers.

We haven't held the Hot Lucks in at least the past two years. Timing just hasn't worked out. I really miss them and the fun times we had with so many friends. But perhaps it's good we didn't have one this year.

After all, so many other unique events are all lining up today. It's a unique day in the universe.


It's a Friday the 13th with a Full Moon on the Ides of June.


Thus, make sure you're careful out there, and heed the warning:

Beware The Ides of June!