Happy birthday to Shakespeare's Juliet

1578 Birth of Juliet Capulet, ill-fated fictional lover of Romeo Montague in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet.

How do we know this was Juliet’s birthday?

"Come Lammas eve at night shall she be fourteen. That shall she, marry; I remember it well. ’Tis since the earthquake now eleven years, an’ she was weaned."

Shakespeare’s characters spoke as if they were English people living in his own times; London had an earthquake in 1580. She would have been two when weaned. Tomorrow, August 1, is the ancient Celtic pagan festival of Lammas, and today is Lammas Eve. These clues can make us confident that we may wish Juliet a happy birthday today.

[This item was erroneously posted here on July 26. My apologies.]