Thu, 6 April 2942: Happy New Year of the Elves

Detail from the inn discovered in Zagreb

You may have forgotten all about it by now, but we are not yet finished with our Hobbit Timetable! It's just that nothing at all has happened since Yule. Yes, Gandalf and Bilbo are still straining Beorn's hospitality. Really, as a host this man bears a lot!

On this day, in 2942 TA, the Elves of Middle-earth celebrated their New Year. Or maybe they did so one day sooner; there is no chance of adjusting the Calender of Imladris to the Shire Reckoning. All we know is that the New Year fell on 6 April both in 2941 TA (attested in UT) and in 3020 TA (attested in App. B), which is impossible when the twelve-year intercalary period described in App. D is taken into account: If App. B. is considered canonical, then the New Year of 2941 would by necessity have fallen on 5 April, maybe even on 4 April. Yes, Tolkien did blunder in this respect.

It may be around this time that Gandalf and Bilbo finally consider departure. We know that they will be in Rivendell by 1 May, we also know that the travel distance Back from the Anduin to Rivendell is about two weeks, as it had been on the way There, the delay in the orc-town made up for by flying with Manwe's airline.

Discovered on Easter Monday in Zagreb, Croatia

Karen Fonstad did not include steps of the return voyage in her Atlas of Middle-earth, hence we may only rely upon our own conjectures. 

(Courtesy to my daughter who took the adjoining photographs with her camera at my request.)