March 25th is Tolkien Reading Day, because it’s the date in The Return of the King when the Ring was destroyed. But have you ever wondered why Tolkien made a point of mentioning that exact date? Doesn’t the use of a modern calendar kind of throw you out of the story?

I wrote an essay about that two years ago, and since it’s late March again, it’s time to share it! But it’s also extra-special this year, because March 25th is Good Friday.

Why is that special? Well, read it and find out!

You’ll also find out why taxes are due on April 6th in England, why Dante picked March 25th to begin the story of The Divine Comedy, why medieval people believed March 25th was the first day of Creation, and why it’s not a coincidence that Tolkien picked the Feast of the Annunciation for this momentous fictional event.

Basically, March 25th is awesome, and we’ve forgotten a lot of its significance in the modern era. It’s not just a Marian feast; it’s an example of how our Catholic faith used to be rooted in every aspect of society.