It’s another New Year, so you know what that means, Tolkien fans: it’s time to join together once again to celebrate the birthday of J. R. R. Tolkien! The beloved author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, making 2022 the 130th anniversary of Tolkien’s birth. Soon, he will surpass the Old Took!
To mark the Professor’s birthday 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. 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.
After the toast, sit back down and enjoy the rest of your drink. Maybe you’d like to share your thoughts on what the Professor’s work means to you with your friends or read favorite passages from his work. As has been my custom in recent years, I will think with great gratitude about the dear friends that Tolkien’s work has brought me to, a true Fellowship, “eternally bound by friendship and love”. I cannot imagine my life with Tolkien and the wonderful people I met because of his writing. A star did indeed shine upon the hour of our meeting.
How will you celebrate the Professor’s life and work on his birthday? Tell us in the comments, and join Tolkien fans everywhere tonight to raise a glass to “The Professor!”
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