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WHAT DAY IS IT IN ELVISH RECKONING?

Now that it known when the First Age of the Sun began it becomes possible to create an Elvish calendar for our times. All we need to do is follow the explaination of how Imladris Reckoning worked in Appendix D in Return of the King. Since the Elves aged very slowly they had a unit of time called a Yen equal to 144 of our years. The Eldar there had a year, or Loa, divided into 6 short seasons of 9 or 12 weeks, or Enquie, of six days, or Re, each. This was preceded by a first day called Yestare and ended by one named Mettare. Between the third and fourth seasons were 3 days called Endari. This totalled 365 days.

In order to keep in alignment with the seasons they had a leap year every 12 years that added 3 Endari. Once every 432 years this was omitted. This would give a year of about 365.243 days; longer than the 365.242 days that King's Reckoning averages. This shows that the calendar was quite ancient and the Elves knew their seasons. The tropical year becomes longer the further one goes into the past.

It can also be seen that once created they never changed it. In the Appendix it is noted that the start of their year began on April 6 in Shire Reckoning even though the spring equinox occured around April 1. But this wouldn't be too far off the mark if the calendar was backdated to the start of the First Age of the Sun.

If the assumption that the Elvish calendar began with the start of the First Age of the Sun then one condition must be met; no end of a third yen could have occured during Bilbo's time. From the Appendix;

"That there was an inaccuracy is shown by a note in the calendars of the Red Book to the effect that in the 'Reckoning of Rivendell' the last year of every third yen was shortened by three days: the doubling of the three enderi due in that year was omitted; 'But that has not happened in our time'.'

The last year of the 48th yen was 2881 of the Third Age; 9 years before Bilbo was born. The next would not occur for another 432 years.

So now you can construct your own Elvish calendar. Just use the dates given below. There was a leap year in 2011-12 and there will be one every twelth year afterwards with no exception until 2335-36.

Years of the Valian Saturday, February 16, 731058 BC.

Years of the Lamps Thursday, July 18, 457458 BC.

Years of the Trees Saturday, November 23, 227058 BC.

Years of the Elves Saturday, February 15, 75857 BC.

Years of the Dwarves Friday, February 21, 65057 BC.

Years of the Men Sunday, March 22, 11057 BC.

Year of the Sun.

1 Yestare Sunday, March 22, 11057 BC.

12961 Yestare Wednesday, March 30, 1904 AD.

13071 Yestare Sunday, March 30, 2014.

13071 Tuile 1 Monday, March 31, 2014.

13071 Laire 1 Saturday, May 24, 2014.

13071 Yavie 1 Monday, August 4, 2014.

13071 Endari 1 Saturday, September 27, 2014.

13071 Quelle 1 Tuesday, September 30, 2014.

13071 Hrive 1 Sunday, November 23, 2014.

13071 Coire 1 Tuesday, February 3, 2015.

13071 Mettare Sunday, March 29, 2015.

13072 Yestare Monday, March 30, 2015.

13073 Yestare Tuesday, March 29, 2016.

13074 Yestare Wednesday, March 29, 2017.

13075 Yestare Thursday, March 29, 2018.

13076 Yestare Friday, March 29, 2019.

13077 Yestare Saturday, March 28, 2020.

13089 Yestare Sunday, March 28, 2032 (Easter).

13100 Yestare Sunday, March 29, 2043 (Easter).

13111 Yestare Sunday, March 29, 2054 (Easter).

13122 Yestare Sunday, March 29, 2065 (Easter).