It’s another New Year, and so the time has come to once again join with other Tolkien fans all over the world to honor J. R. R. Tolkien. On January 3, the Tolkien Society invites Tolkien fans everywhere to join in the yearly tradition of the Tolkien Birthday Toast, in recognition of J. R. R. Tolkien’s birthday. The revered author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa. 2023 is the 131st anniversary of Tolkien’s birth, a number of great significance, surpassing the Old Took and matching Bilbo’s age when he left Middle-earth for the Undying Lands.
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. As I often do, I will reflect with deep gratitude on my own Fellowship of Tolkien fans who have become an extended family to me. I cannot imagine my life without Tolkien and the wonderful people I met because of his writing. A star did indeed shine upon the hour of our meeting.
For all of us who cherish Tolkien’s work, the annual Tolkien Birthday Toast is an opportunity to gather in spirit, or perhaps again in person this year, to honor the man who created the wonderful universe of Arda.
What are your reflections on the day of Professor Tolkien’s birthday? Tell us in the comments below, and join us in raising a glass to “The Professor!”
