MDBCs 22 Sep 2024

Fans of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (LOTR) and the Hobbit epic celebrate September 22 as Hobbit Day. The week containing Hobbit Day is also celebrated as Tolkien Week.

Hobbit Day and Tolkien Week first began in 1978 by the proclamation of the American Tolkien Society, an organization whose goal is to further the study and spread the appreciation of the works of JRR Tolkien and his son, Christopher JR Tolkien.

Hobbit Birthday

September 22 is designated as Hobbit Day because it is the birthdate of two of JRR Tolkien's main characters - Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins. Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of Tolkien’s hugely popular 1937 children's novel, The Hobbit, was born on September 22, Third Age 2890. Frodo Baggins, the central character in the LOTR trilogy, on the other hand, is 78 years younger than Bilbo, having been born in the Third Age year of 2968.

There is some debate whether Hobbit Day is on September 22 or September 12, as the LOTR and Hobbit calendar does not synchronize with the Gregorian Calendar.

How to Celebrate?

Host parties and feasts like the ones held in the books.
Don’t wear shoes on this day because the hobbits in the books are always barefooted.
Attend marathon viewing sessions of the movie version of the books and participate in Hobbit and LOTR quizzes.
If you have young adults in your life, encourage them to read Tolkien’s work.

Did You Know…

…that the Fellowship of the Rings, the first book in the Lord of the Rings series, opens with Bilbo Baggins announcing his eleventy-first birthday?

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My wife likes to keep the mystery in our relationship.

For example, I never know what is going to arrive for her from Amazon today.

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{On the phone with my mom}

Me: What’s your secret to 55 years of marriage?

Mom: We never hated each other on the same day.

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My husband surprised me with a night out to celebrate the anniversary of our first date. I was reminded of the man I fell in love with.

We arrived at the theater and learned the movie was playing at a different location a full hour earlier. I was reminded of the man I married.

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The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for steak to cook. —Julia Child