The New Year has arrived (thank goodness!), and with it the time for Tolkien fans to symbolically join together all over the world to honor the man who brought us Middle-earth and all of Arda. On January 3, the Tolkien Society invites Tolkien fans everywhere to join in the annual tradition of the Tolkien Birthday Toast, in honor of J. R. R. Tolkien’s birthday. The beloved author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, making 2021 the 129th anniversary of Tolkien’s birth.
Here is how the Tolkien Birthday Toast works. At 9 pm your local time on January 3, do the following:
- Stand,
- Raise a glass of your choice of drink (it does not need to be alcoholic),
- Say “The Professor!”
- Take a sip of your drink.
Following the toast, sit back down and enjoy the rest of your drink, perhaps sharing your thoughts on what the Professor’s work means to you with your friends or reading favorite passages from his work. This year, I will think of the refuge that the world of Professor Tolkien provided for many of us during the difficult months we have passed through, and those that are still to come. I will also reflect with gratitude on my own Fellowship of Tolkien fans who have become an extended family to me.
For all of us who cherish Tolkien’s work, the annual Tolkien Birthday Toast is an opportunity to gather in spirit, or perhaps virtually this year, to honor the man who created the wonderful universe of Arda.
What are your reflections on the day of Professor Tolkien’s 129th birthday? Tell us in the comments below, and join us in raising a glass to “The Professor!”
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