A Simple Guide to Celebrating Hobbit Day
Kick off your shoes, chow down on some mushrooms, and whip out the sparklers: it’s time to celebrate Hobbit Day and Tolkien Week. Though there are some discrepancies between the Shire and Gregorian calendars, Hobbit Day – the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins – has been celebrated on September 22nd since 1978 and is the kickoff to Tolkien Week.
Many schools, bookstores, and libraries observe the date as a way to focus on Tolkien’s work and pique the interest of new fans, but here at Quirk, we love a good party.
(via InspireMeArtandGraph on Etsy)
Throwing a great party is directly related to choosing a great location. Given that Hobbits like to throw down, space is key. Ideally, you will want to center your party around the biggest tree you can find. Banners, streamers, and fairy lights will all add to the ambiance of your party. If weather is not on your side and you really need to move things indoors, decorations can include a paper tree, a celebratory banner, and a welcome sign, such as the one above.
Entertainment is crucial for a Hobbit party. If you have the space outside, Hobbits love a variety of outdoor games. If not, riddles, rhyming games, and limericks are all excellent choices. Perhaps spend some time reading Tolkien’s work out loud. And of course, it’s not a party without music, so bust out the guitar or ukelele and have a grand time.
(via the amazing Bryton Taylor)
Hobbits like to eat and do so quite often, so a full and varied menu is important. Hobbits enjoy simple foods in large quantities, so mushrooms, pickles, and a tray of cheeses would all make excellent appetizers. For your main courses, soups, sandwiches, and mince meat pies will do. To round out the meal, serve scones, blackberry tarts, and honey cakes for desserts. Keep the wine, tea, and coffee flowing! If you need some inspiration, check out Bryton Taylor’s beautiful Hobbit spread in her food in literature series.
On your invitations, encourage your guests to dress the part, wearing earth tones with curled hair. Have a basket ready to hold their shoes. And since hospitality and community are important qualities for Hobbits, consider giving each a guest a small token of your appreciation. It doesn’t have to be the most precious ring, but a goody bag will still show that you care.
But most importantly, have a great party, and relish in the time spent with friends and family!
So how do you plan on celebrating Hobbit Day? Tell us about your parties!
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Jennifer Morell is a freelance writer in New York City. She writes about music at The Ruckus and her adventures at That Long Yellow Line. Check Twitter for her thoughts on TV shows, puppies, and cupcakes: @heyjenray.
