Bilbo's and Frodo's birthday [Archive] - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Morgoth the Great

08-21-2003, 01:34 PM

actually, it's the 22nd of September. right in the middle of your guesses, lol. There was also a large "hippy movement" in England when The Lord Of The Rings was released, and there was a lot of graffiti saying that "FRODO LIVES". some of it's still there today smilies/smile.gif great to walk past it in London.

p.s. Welcome to the barrowdowns Aratharmaion

[ August 21, 2003: Message edited by: Morgoth the Great ]

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

08-21-2003, 02:14 PM

The date of that joint birthday can be found on the first page of Chapter I in The Lord of the Rings. Surely it wouldn't be too arduous to look it up.

[EDIT] I was, of course, completely ignoring Appendix D to The Lord of the Rings. It's probably worth going into some detail on the matter it covers, since its contents make sense of this thread.

Tolkien 'translated' the Westron names of the various Shire months into those of our own calendar but left the dates unchanged. He says of the correspondance It appears, however, that Mid-year's Day was intended to correspond as nearly as possible to the summer solstice. In that case the Shire dates were actually in advance of ours by some ten days, and our New Year's Day corresponded more or less to the Shire January 9.

Allowing for the differing lengths of Shire months (and assuming that we're not dealing with a leap year) the correspondance ought to be as follows. Any mistakes in calculating these correspondances are mine.

1 Afteryule = 24 December
1 Solmath = 23 January
1 Rethe = 21 February
1 Astron = 23 March
1 Thrimidge = 22 April
1 Forelithe = 22 May
1 Afterlithe = 23 June (allowing for the two Lithes but not an Overlithe)
1 Wedmath = 23 July
1 Halimath = 22 August
1 Winterfilth = 21 September
1 Blotmath = 21 October
1 Foreyule = 20 November

However, in order for this to be in any way accurate one would have to allow both for our own leap years and the Shire Overlithes, each in their proper places. In the above typical year, though, the Birthday would fall on September the twelfth. I wouldn't be celebrating it then, though, because I only celebrate actual events.

[ August 25, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

Beth the Elf

10-03-2003, 04:18 PM

I usuallt celebrate it on September 22, but this year i noticed that the Barrowdown's middle earth date on the main page had their birthday on September 13th

dancing spawn of ungoliant

10-04-2003, 03:24 AM

Interesting...so (off topic, sorry) is it 'wrong' to celebrate M-E's new year on 25th March? This gets confusing.
And why does it then say in FotR that the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo was 21st September when it's actually 13th (right?)?

Arwen1858

10-04-2003, 09:39 AM

If it says in FotR that their birthday is September 22, wouldn't that be when it is? Why do we need to figure out when it is, if it plainly says it in the book?

The Barrow-Wight

10-04-2003, 10:32 AM

Tolkien's use of Septmeber and other months was simply a modernization of the ancient Shire Calendar, which of course would not have had the same month names as us. In fact, they had a different system for dividing their year, which is described quite nicely in Appendice D of the Lord of the Rings.

As Squatter said, our modern 1 Jan would match up with the 9th day of the Shire's first month. Calculating through the year, you get 14 September on regular years and 13 September on Leap Years. (Note: I still had this year set as a leap year until recently, so the site mistaken reported 13 September as the birthday day this year - Sorry. BW)

To somplify things, when JRRT said their birthdays fell on 22 September, he really was saying their birthdays were on the 22nd day of thier 9th month - the 257th day of their year. The 257th day of our year was 14 September.

I hope that clears it up a bit. JRRT took the time to publish Appendice D, so I'm sure he would like us all to understand it.

Arwen1858

10-04-2003, 10:35 AM

I just finished re-reading RotK yesterday, and am now slowly working my way through the appendices, so I'll get to that and hopefully understand it this time!

Elentári_O_Most_Mighty_1

10-04-2003, 11:32 AM

actually, it's the 22nd of September. right in the middle of your guesses, lol. There was also a large "hippy movement" in England when The Lord Of The Rings was released, and there was a lot of graffiti saying that "FRODO LIVES". some of it's still there today great to walk past it in London. Actually I think the hippy movement began sometime after the books were released, the movement being in the 70s. Correct me if I'm wrong, I wasn't around at the time. smilies/wink.gif And whereabouts in London can I find this graffiti???

Carorëiel

10-04-2003, 12:30 PM

As an American, I come from a long tradition of not celebrating things on the days they actually happened. Too inconvenient, yes? Holidays must always fall next to the weekend so as to disrupt the bloody work week as little as possible. I find this irritating in principle, but it is infuriatingly pragmatic. So, I have no problems with celebrating Bilbo and Frodo's birthday on the "wrong" day. The important thing is to celebrate it, and I do--on September 22. Or the 21st, this year, because the 22nd was inconvienent. smilies/rolleyes.gif

mark12_30

09-22-2004, 10:01 AM

Carorëiel, I agree with you. I am 'celebrating' today; much more after the manner of 1418 than Bilbo's 111th, but still.

Cheers.

Evisse the Blue

09-22-2004, 10:16 AM

Thanks a lot for the reminder. :)

Happy birthday to our two adventurous hobbits! So...is anybody setting on an overdue quest today? ;)

Mithalwen

09-22-2004, 11:33 AM

They are perfoming the LOTR symphony (amamgamated movie music, I believe) in London tonight to celebrate the birthdays......

mark12_30

09-22-2004, 11:38 AM

Why! I didn't even THINK about that. Silly me. And I have the MP3s right here!

Mithalwen

09-22-2004, 12:00 PM

They are als playing it tomorrow due to vast demand...

Hookbill the Goomba

09-22-2004, 12:10 PM

The date sounds the same. I always feel like writing my screen name on MSN as "Happy birthday Bilbo and Frodo". I think that this is easier for even people who are not as Tolkienalised (This word does not appear in the Oxford English dictionary) as some are. Its just nice to say, "Its September the 22nd, that the same as Bilbo and Frodo's birthday! Hurah!" Even if it’s not completely accurate.

Encaitare

09-22-2004, 02:33 PM

Yes, as we speak I have "Happy Birthday Bilbo & Frodo" written on my hand (it's an unfortunate habit I have, writing on my hand) complete with nice Tehtar dots over the a's. After I wrote it I realized that it technically was not the day it "really" would have been, but I soon got over it. Anyway, it was fun to see some people get confused and others go "Oh man! I forgot it was their birthday! Yay!"

So a nice big Happy Birthday, regardless of exact dates, to two of the coolest Hobbits ever. :)

Fordim Hedgethistle

09-22-2004, 04:33 PM

Just saw on theonering.net that today (the 22nd of Sept) is Sala Baker's birthday. . .

brrrrrrrr. . .the only actor to ever play Sauron shares a birthday with Frodo and Bilbo? The Professor, I'm sure, is smiling.

(SB is 28 by the way -- Oh my goodness, just realised that his initials are also shared by that other nemesis of Frodo and Bilbo: the S-B's. . .now I am scared. . .very scared. . .)

Elianna

09-22-2004, 05:15 PM

Sala Baker's birthday, huh? What an amazing coincidence!

At the meeting of my school's Fantasy Club today, I mentioned it was Frodo and Bilbo's b-day, and we would've had cake in their honor, but I didn't have time to bake one. I'm meeting with some other LotR-freak friends tomorrow as a belated party.

Speaking of LotR holidays: Earlier this year I celebrated May 25th. I baked a yellow bunt cake with the Ring-spell drawn on it in red icing, dressed up as Frodo and made people guess what I was celebrating before I let them get a piece of cake. Most people were able to guess correctly, concidering it was me, the 'crazy elf girl', celebrating it. :D

mark12_30

09-22-2004, 06:20 PM

I baked a yellow bunt cake with the Ring-spell drawn on it in red icing

Now that is Uber-cool. Did you take a picture???

I am watching The Fellowship, having munched an apple, followed by a fluff-frosted brownie ("chocolate Lembas".)

Encaitare

09-22-2004, 07:46 PM

I'm not really doing anything to celebrate, it's just my own quiet recognition. Although my dad thinks I'm officially insane now, because I was discussing over the dinner table how it's their joint birthday, but it's not really the same day, etc, and he was giving me the most incredulous look while my mom and sister just kinda smiled and nodded...

Happy Birthday Sala Baker!

Mithalwen

09-23-2004, 11:34 AM

Nimrodel_9

09-23-2004, 05:01 PM

My MSN messanger name was Happy Birthday Frodo yesterday! Strange how minds work, eh?

Yeah, I celebrate on the 22nd because that`s what the date is in the books (even though it`s based on the Shire calendar). Since it`s so confusing, I say we decide on a day that we should celebrate it on. ;)

Elianna

09-23-2004, 08:25 PM

mark12_30:
Alas, I took no pictures of my cake. I did run into a door while carrying it and got icing on my Frodo vest though...does that count for anything?

HerenIstarion

09-21-2005, 11:51 PM

And the thread comes up :D:D:D

Hookbill the Goomba

09-21-2005, 11:59 PM

Frodo Lives!

Reg Pither

09-22-2005, 02:00 AM

Actually I think the hippy movement began sometime after the books were released, the movement being in the 70s. Correct me if I'm wrong, I wasn't around at the time. smilies/wink.gif And whereabouts in London can I find this graffiti???

The hippie movement was a 60's thing, not 70's, although it obviously carried on to a smaller extent in that decade. I think it was the release of LotR in paperback that coincided with the rise of the hippies, and it became de rigueur to read it if you were part of that scene. That's when LotR really took off in popularity.

Anyway, regardless of Shire calendars and all that, 22nd September is the most logical day to celebrate the birthdays, so Hurrah for today! :D

Thinlómien

09-22-2005, 06:48 AM

My classmates were pulling a bit of "oh dear"-faces, when they saw Bilbo's and Frodo's birthday marked in my calendar... And they were absolutely out when they saw my "new year" in 25th March... Sometimes people who are not LotR-fans might be really funny :D ... I suppose they think I'm a bit strange :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRODO AND BILBO!

Earendilyon

09-22-2005, 06:48 AM

Hip hip hurray!!

Encaitare

09-22-2005, 06:38 PM

A very happy birthday to two very awesome hobbits. It certainly merited a little skipping about in happiness when I remembered what today was during lunch. :D

Alcarillo

09-22-2005, 06:42 PM

Happy Birthday to Frodo and Bilbo! I must admit that I forgot what day today was until I looked at this thread. :rolleyes:

HerenIstarion

09-22-2007, 06:36 AM

So, as it has been established that it's 22nd up there :rolleyes:, let me state...

Happy birthday Bilbo!
Happy birthday Frodo!

:smokin:

Child of the 7th Age

09-22-2007, 09:41 AM

Thank you Herin for resurrecting this thread. Appropriately, yesterday I got in the mail the 70th anniversary edition of The Hobbit, which Houghton Mifflin just released.

MatthewM

09-23-2007, 06:16 PM

Happy birthday to Bilbo and Frodo.

mark12_30

09-23-2007, 06:55 PM

Ack!! Yesterday! Belated.....

HerenIstarion

09-22-2008, 02:59 PM

So happy birthday to Master Bilbo and Master Frodo :)

HerenIstarion

09-21-2009, 03:19 PM

Funny how nobody posted in here for a whole year...

Well, another bump then I suppose - it's already 22nd down here, and several hours off for majority of members I imagine

Nice of them to have been born on this very day of autumn, if only for our entertainment :) (apart from education, moral and otherwise, ethics and general outlook, whatever)

Legate of Amon Lanc

09-21-2009, 03:36 PM

Oh, that's funny. I have been thinking that I should not miss acknowledging it this autumn, apparently I did so by half an hour - but the funny thing is, if I was home, it would still be about half an hour until the 22nd, so actually... :)

Well, happy birthday to the Bagginses! It's nice, anyway, isn't it? I think they could not have been born in a better date. This day is suddenly made far more interesting anyway. I doubt anybody has it as their national holiday. Though somebody should perhaps start making these daily planners with this day marked there among other national holidays (and maybe with the 25th of March or something, too).

Bêthberry

09-22-2009, 02:56 AM

To Bilbo and Frodo!

Drat it; I missed my chance. I should have flown out to Oxonmoot today instead of tomorrow.

Selmo

09-22-2009, 03:01 AM

I don't celebrate Bilbo's and Frodo's birthday in September, 13th or 22nd.

At my age , I find it difficult to remember today's date on our modern calender, without having to worry about exotic calenders like Shire Reckoning.

I content myself with acknowledging the birthdays whenever I read of them in the books.

.

Thinlómien

09-22-2009, 12:57 PM

Happy birthday Bilbo and Frodo!

They made me smile today at work for every single time I wrote the date (probably around a hundred times) I thought it's their birthday. :)

Laurinquë

09-22-2009, 02:08 PM

HAPPY BAGGINS DAY! :D

May the mushrooms be in abundance!

~ Laurinquë and TheGreatElvenWarrior

Eönwë

09-22-2009, 02:13 PM

Happy Birthday to Bilbo and Frodo!

TheGreatElvenWarrior

09-22-2009, 02:20 PM

Oh, Happy, Happy Baggins Day from ME!

Hakon

09-22-2009, 03:51 PM

Happy birthday Mr. Frodo and Bilbo.

ElanorFB

09-24-2009, 06:23 PM

For me since the book says the 22nd that's when I celebrate - with a quite feast then setting out the following night for Bree.

HerenIstarion

09-22-2010, 01:03 AM

Once again, it's "Happy Birthday" to Bilbo and Frodo :)

Pitchwife

09-22-2010, 02:29 AM

Yeah, happy birthday Bilbo and Frodo! May the hair on their feet grow ever curlier!

(And if anybody feels like celebrating this day with some special activity, look over there (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=16377)!)

Galadriel

09-22-2010, 04:23 AM

Happy birthday Bilbo and Frodo dear! May the hair on your toes never fall out!

Thinlómien

09-22-2010, 09:47 AM

Happy birthday to Bilbo and Frodo!

No surprise I had a very good day at work (I work at fundraising and I'm supposed to get people donate 20e/month more every day but today I got 34e/month more - celebration!) it must have been because of the special date. :)

HerenIstarion

09-22-2011, 12:33 PM

Inziladun

09-22-2011, 02:35 PM

Anyway, Happy Birthday to Bilbo and Frodo

Indeed! I'd forgotten about it.

Galadriel55

09-22-2011, 04:48 PM

Happy birthday to out dear hobbits!

Mithalwen

09-22-2011, 05:37 PM

... and I've just read the final chapter of The Hobbit to my son for a bedtime reading. Though he fell asleep before Gandalf's and Balin's visit to Bilbo's, actually :D

Pure accident, for it to coincide with the date, but a pleasant one at that

Anyway, Happy Birthday to Bilbo and Frodo

Aww I can't believe he is getting the Hobbit read to him already.... before we know it he will have definitively resolved all issues raised in Canonicity!

HerenIstarion

01-07-2012, 06:07 AM

Aww I can't believe he is getting the Hobbit read to him already.... before we know it he will have definitively resolved all issues raised in Canonicity!

Well, he took a lot of persuading (being quite stubborn in certain matters, like new books offered) that he would actually like it, and then we read it 3 times in a row full round (the sign of the book that went down well is request for it to be reread immediately upon completion - the Hobbit was received moderately well I presume, as absolute record holders - Winnie the Pooh and Baron Munchhausen went round 8 times each)

But funny how I happen to coincide with the seasons - passing through rounds of Nutcracker now

Estelyn Telcontar

01-07-2012, 06:09 AM

How great to see you posting once again, HI! Have the Letters from Father Christmas been translated and can you read them to your son?

HerenIstarion

01-07-2012, 06:17 AM

Hi Esty :)

Actually, I don't know, but thanks for the idea - funnily enough it never occurred to me before now

As a side note, and stopping at that for fear of taking the thread entirely away from its actual purpose, just let me mention that Roverandom enjoyed warmer welcome than the Hobbit :rolleyes:

Formendacil

09-22-2014, 05:01 PM

I thought, when I went looking for it, that this thread was in the Barrow-downs subforum, but no, it turns it out it once had an actual discussion of the Birthday to kick it off--and looking back at those old posts, we are a good nine days late for the two Ringbearers' "real" birthday, but just in time for just in time for their Birthday (Observed). And, in the tradition of all good observed birthdays, it would be a holiday Monday today!

It is also--at least hereabouts--a gorgeously beautiful day for a party (Bilbo would approve) and a turn back to autumn after summer's attempted return yesterday (Frodo would want to wander).

To Bilbo and Frodo (and Fordhim), many happy returns!

Inziladun

09-22-2014, 05:08 PM

It is also--at least hereabouts--a gorgeously beautiful day for a party (Bilbo would approve) and a turn back to autumn after summer's attempted return yesterday (Frodo would want to wander).

This has weatherwise been a perfect day here as well: cloudless, and neither cool nor hot.

Many Happy Returns to the celebrated Hobbits!

Tar-Jêx

09-22-2014, 07:04 PM

This has weatherwise been a perfect day here as well: cloudless, and neither cool nor hot.

Many Happy Returns to the celebrated Hobbits!

Good thing no Hobbits were where I live. Far too hot.

Considering they lived in New Zealand, they didn't get that bad weather, so they could laze about outside smoking their pipes and drinking.

Lotrelf

09-23-2014, 01:03 AM

I'm late. This was the first time I celebrated Hobbit Day. Happy B'day to Frodo and Bilbo. Can someone tell me how old they are considered??

HerenIstarion

09-24-2014, 01:37 PM

A couple of days later, I do join in glass raising activities (though actual glass raising did take place 3 days ago, late into the night of 21st - actually, celebrating the birthday of one of my friends newborn daughter, but since we actually did sit through to 22nd, the topic was mentioned and toast been said, o'course :))