With the holidays fast approaching, my mind (tell me I’m not alone in this) is often thinking of food. For a lot of holidays, the food is at the forefront, being either symbolic or traditional. If you are a Tolkien fan and a bit of a foodie, you might want to add the Tolkien Feast Week to your list of approved holidays.
Anna Maria Polidori, an Italian member of the Tolkien Society, created a Feast Week that commemorates events from The Lord of the Rings. Starting on Bilbo and Frodo Baggins’ birthday, participants “celebrate with an evening meal similar to the one the hobbits ate […] and/or engage in some activity described.” For example, to celebrate The Feast of Farmer Maggot, the only requirements are beer, mushrooms, and bacon. On this same night, since the hobbits bathed and sang in the house at Crickhollow, singing in the bath or shower is encouraged!
The official Feast Days are as follows:
Baggins’ Birthday, 9/13 (Halimath 22)
The Feast of Gildor, 9/15 (H.24)
The Feast of Farmer Maggot, 9/16 (H.25)
The Feast of Tom Bombadil, 9/17 (H.26)
2nd night w/ Bombadil, 9/18 (H.27)
Prisoners of a barrow-wight, 9/19 (H.28)
Prancing Pony Night, 9/20 (H.29)
This celebration occurs yearly and you can participate wherever you are, on your own or with other Tolkien fans!
The Tolkien Society, founded in 1969, is an association of Tolkien enthusiasts based in the United Kingdom, but is made up of members from around the world. Their focus is “to further interest in the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.B.E., the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and other works of fiction and philological study.”
