NURSE: Even or odd, of all days in the year,

Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen.

–Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene ii.

Lammas Eve, is a pagan holiday, also known as Lughnasa, a Celtic holiday traditionally held on August 1st, or the midway point between the summer solstice and the Equinox. It was a day celebrating harvests and the beginning of fall, and was celebrated through eating wheat, drinking wine and burning a giant wicker man in effigy, (the inspiration of the film of the same name, and the festival of Burning Man). By the way, not everyone appreciates this holiday, click here to see what I mean.

There is also another significance to Juliet’s birthday. It makes her a Leo, a star sign traditionally associated with the Sun. So, when Romeo calls her “The Sun,” there is a literal connection to her birth. Shakespeare makes many allusions to astrology in Romeo and Juliet, as a metaphor for fate.

In the next few days I’ll be talking about what these allusions mean and how they help people understand the play.

Enjoy Juliet’s Birthday everyone!

By the way, here’s a link to a fun website: Juliet’s Blog: http://julietisthesun.blogspot.com/