Celebrating HOBBIT DAY 2021

There's a significant holiday coming next week. Significant for readers, that is. Particularly significant for the Tolkien lovers and for the connoisseurs of his most famous tale. 

You see, Wednesday, September 22 for the uninformed is merely a day that ushers in Autumn (or Spring, depending on where you live). And for most people, that is enough.

But for the epic readers, for those that consume lengthy tomes like they were short stories, for those that would undoubtedly make a pilgrimage to The Shire if Middle Earth were an actual destination...September 22 marks more than just the first day of Fall. 

September 22 is the birthday of Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, as well as the birthday of his beloved nephew, Frodo.

And since one celebrates with a party on one's birthday (which is how we are introduced to both Bilbo and Frodo in that epic tale of good v evil that is Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings), fans of the trilogy worldwide have set aside September 22 as International Hobbit Day to do just that.

Want to get in on the action? Here are a few ways YOU can join in Celebrating HOBBIT DAY 2021.

Check out these fun YouTube videos.

There are a smorgasbord of videos from trips to New Zealand and to the movie set for The Shire. If you cannot afford a last-minute trip to Matamata, New Zealand, this is the next best thing. (I especially loved the 360 degree video from Bare Kiwi.)

Join the party.

There are some pretty awesome businesses throwing parties on Hobbit Day. Check your location to see if one is near you. Facebook EVENTS has a whole list of events from Dothan, Alabama's Dothan Houston County Library to Albany, Oregon's Brick Circuit (think Legos) to Jack's London Grill in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Plus, there's a smattering of virtual/online events you could join if there's not one in your local area. Whichever you chose, don't forget your RSVP. 

Celebrate in small ways.

If life doesn't permit a big birthday bash, there are lots of ways you can celebrate Hobbit Day on a more intimate scale.

1. Read the beginning of The Lord of the Rings - just through the birthday party. (Though if you could resist reading on, you may be the one that should be chosen as guardian of the ring because you have some major self-restraint!)
2. Create something culinary to celebrate in true Hobbit fashion! If your library doesn't have them, Amazon offers a variety of Hobbit-themed cookbooks like An Unexpected Cookbook: The Unofficial Book of Hobbit Cookery; Lost Recipes: The Unofficial Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Cookbook; and Hobbit Hospitality. (In the very least, enjoy some po-tay-toes on Hobbit Day.)*
3. Solve these seven Hobbit-inspired riddles.
4. Go on an adventure! What could be more Hobbity than that?
5. Have some fun with Hobbit fashion. This lady offers a great tutorial to help you channel your inner Hobbit fashionista - all with stuff from your closet! 
6. Take a hike! Bonus points if you go barefooted.
7. Give everyone you talk to the moniker "my precious" for the day. (Oh my goodness, if you do this, please leave a comment about the responses you get. That will make my day!) 
8. Share a proper cuppa tea with friends & family. This brand has you covered with The Burglar Brew. 

*contains affiliate links which does not affect your shopping experience, but will sprinkle pennies toward my cuppa joe fund so that I can buy a thank you coffee for my I.T. guy.