The good folks at BBC Radio 3 (the UK national classical music station), have not got the memo about this. They played some Bach on 31st March (always nice) but then wished him Happy Birthday (not so nice).
The number 21 or 31 don't mean anything, they are just a human invention, a label, nothing more. What matters is the astronomical reality: where Earth stood in its orbit, which flowers were blooming, how long the day lasted, the angle of the sun over Eisenach when Bach took his first breath. These are physical facts that no calendar reform can touch.
Consider if the calendar had drifted not by 10 days but by 3 months. We'd be solemnly marking Bach's birthday in the dead of winter, when in truth he arrived in the awakening of spring. That would be absurd. Birthdays are meant to honor a moment in the living world, not a number on an administrative document.
March 21st (in the modern calendar) is the day of equinox. Bach was not born on the equinox. He was born 10 days into spring, when the forsythia were at their peak and the snowdrops already past theirs. Celebrating him on the 21st, on the wrong astronomical footing, before the forsythia bloom, while the snowdrops are still holding on, makes no sense.
The digits "21" and "31" are just pointers. What they point to is what counts. Focusing on the number is calendar fetishism. When a wise man points at the moon, the foolish man examines the finger.
Been ranting this for so long. I celebrate this day every year as "Bachmas" and even have a mini rant about it at the bottom of my website that I put up to celebrate this day (http://bachmas.org/). March 21st is the only real day to celebrate. Also tried to get them to change the wikipedia entry.
Well done! Nice site and good point about the date he himself would have celebrated. I'll certainly be furious when scholars try to change facts about my life.
And this, from organist Gabriel Dissenha: 21.3.85, in the numerological alphabet where A=1, B=2 et cetera, spells: BA.C.HE. Wonderful coincidence!
Happy 341st Birthday, Herr Bach!
Thanks, I always enjoy your rants.
The good folks at BBC Radio 3 (the UK national classical music station), have not got the memo about this. They played some Bach on 31st March (always nice) but then wished him Happy Birthday (not so nice).
How scandalous. Send them this rant!
The number 21 or 31 don't mean anything, they are just a human invention, a label, nothing more. What matters is the astronomical reality: where Earth stood in its orbit, which flowers were blooming, how long the day lasted, the angle of the sun over Eisenach when Bach took his first breath. These are physical facts that no calendar reform can touch.
Consider if the calendar had drifted not by 10 days but by 3 months. We'd be solemnly marking Bach's birthday in the dead of winter, when in truth he arrived in the awakening of spring. That would be absurd. Birthdays are meant to honor a moment in the living world, not a number on an administrative document.
March 21st (in the modern calendar) is the day of equinox. Bach was not born on the equinox. He was born 10 days into spring, when the forsythia were at their peak and the snowdrops already past theirs. Celebrating him on the 21st, on the wrong astronomical footing, before the forsythia bloom, while the snowdrops are still holding on, makes no sense.
The digits "21" and "31" are just pointers. What they point to is what counts. Focusing on the number is calendar fetishism. When a wise man points at the moon, the foolish man examines the finger.
Lol
Been ranting this for so long. I celebrate this day every year as "Bachmas" and even have a mini rant about it at the bottom of my website that I put up to celebrate this day (http://bachmas.org/). March 21st is the only real day to celebrate. Also tried to get them to change the wikipedia entry.
Well done! Nice site and good point about the date he himself would have celebrated. I'll certainly be furious when scholars try to change facts about my life.
🤣 a mordent to the face! That hurts like a Buxtehude!
Böhm!
🤣