Lammas was originally a Celtic harvest festival which was co opted by the Catholic Church similarly to Easter, Christmas etc. Essentially, it marked the beginning of the harvest period and was marked by a feast prominently featuring new grains, mainly corn.
Since Juliet was born Lammas eve, she came before the harvest festival, which is significant since her life ended before she could reap what she had sown and enjoy the bounty of the harvest, in this case full consummation and enjoyment of her love with Romeo.
She was born on "Lammas Eve at night" (August 1), so Juliet's birthday is July 31 (1.3.19). Her birthday is "a fortnight hence", putting the action of the play in mid-July (1.3.17).
It is the time around Lammas Day or August 1st. It was a kind of harvest festival. So when the nurse asks how long it is until Lammas-tide, she is asking how long it will be until August 1st. Mrs. Capulet says fourteen plus days (a fortnight is fourteen days, and she says it is a few days more than that). Juliet's birthday is Lammas-eve, which in the same way that Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas, is the day before Lammas day, i.e. July 31.
Juliet was 13 but was only about two weeks from her fourteenth birthday.
The play begins two weeks and some days before Juliet's 14th birthday, which fell on Lammas Eve, the day before Lammas, which was August 1 (Act 1 Scene 3). Therefore the play begins some 16 or 17 days before Juliet's birthday July 31. Let's say the play begins July 14. In that case they were married on the 15th, give or take a day. We know from Act 3 Scene 4 that they were married on a Monday. Mercutio and Tybalt died that same day. There are no clues as to the year.
We know that he was baptised on April 26, 1564. Baptisms would have taken place shortly after the birth on the next available Sunday. People didn't want to wait too long as babies often died shortly after birth, and unbaptized ones didn't get to heaven like baptised ones did. People guessed that he might have been born on the 23rd for the very unscientific reasons that he died on April 23rd, and how cool would it be if he died on his birthday? and also it is St. George's day and how cool would it be if he was born on the day of England's patron saint? There is some evidence which is better than "how cool would it be" in the form of a label on the back of the Sanders portrait of Shakespeare. Numerous scientific tests have shown that this portrait and the label attached to it are genuinely Elizabethan. The label says "William Shakespeare, April 23, 1564 -April 23, 1616" so it looks like for once what would be cool happens also to be true.
August 1st is also called Lammas day. The nurse says of Juliet "come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen." Lammas Eve is the day before Lammas day or July 31, and this is Juliet's birthday. On August 1 she turned one day old.
On Lammas Eve, July 31.
Juliet was born on Lammas Eve and Lammas is August so she was born on July 31st. July and Juliet sound similar.
She was born on "Lammas Eve at night" (August 1), so Juliet's birthday is July 31 (1.3.19). Her birthday is "a fortnight hence", putting the action of the play in mid-July (1.3.17).
Lammas-tide Nurse I'll lay fourteen of my teeth,--And yet, to my teeth be it spoken, I have but four--She is not fourteen. How long is it nowTo Lammas-tide?LADY CAPULET A fortnight and odd days.Nurse Even or odd, of all days in the year,Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen.Susan and she--God rest all Christian souls!--Were of an age: well, Susan is with God;She was too good for me: but, as I said,On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;
In Act III scene 1 Benvolio says that the day is hot and "these hot days, is the mad blood stirring." This suggests that the play takes place in the summer. We can actually get more precise than this. We are told in Act 1 Scene 3 that Juliet was born "on Lammas Eve at night" and that Lammas tide is "a fortnight and odd days" away. Lammas is a festival which takes place August 1, so Juliet's birthday is July 31. It is a fortnight and odd days, say 16 or 17 days to Lammas. The action therefore starts around July 14 or 15.
There is some allusion to the fact that Juliet is born on the 31st of July. Supposedly she was born on "Lammas Eve" at night, thus she would be born on the 31st of July.
There is some allusion to the fact that Juliet is born on the 31st of July. Supposedly she was born on "Lammas Eve" at night, thus she would be born on the 31st of July.
It is the time around Lammas Day or August 1st. It was a kind of harvest festival. So when the nurse asks how long it is until Lammas-tide, she is asking how long it will be until August 1st. Mrs. Capulet says fourteen plus days (a fortnight is fourteen days, and she says it is a few days more than that). Juliet's birthday is Lammas-eve, which in the same way that Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas, is the day before Lammas day, i.e. July 31.
In Shakespeare's play, Juliet was born on "Lammas Eve at night" (August 1), so her birthday is July 31. The Club di Guilietta in Verona celebrates her birthday yearly. The 2014 celebration will fall on September 7.
Juliet was 13 but was only about two weeks from her fourteenth birthday.
The Nurse knows how old Juliet is, because she started breastfeeding her when she was a little baby. Juliet's birthday is Lammas Eve, July 31, only a couple of weeks after the events of the play. Juliet was thirteen, almost fourteen.