By Christa Protano
OK, I’ll be honest here: I’m not really a Tolkien fan. I never had to read The Hobbit in school, nor have I had the urge to do so. But I have seen all the films. And while I was hesitant to watch them when they first came out in the early 2000s, once I saw LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, I was hooked (probably because of Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortenson).
Hot elves and rangers aside, I find myself wanting to dive into Tolkien’s epic fantasy all over again now that the holidays are here. What is it about Christmastime that makes this festive season synonymous with the beloved creator of Middle-earth? Well, there’s more than one reason…
A December Anniversary
In addition to all of the end-of-year holidays, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the last film in the award-winning saga, is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year. The highly anticipated ending premiered on December 1, 2003. In fact, the previous two LOTR movies also opened in theaters during the month of December, resulting in countless fans spending their holiday break in front of the big screen for three-plus hours at a time.
If you missed the extended version of The Return of the King that was briefly re-released in theaters this past spring, Christmas break is the perfect time to stream the 260-minute version. And since it’s almost an hour longer than the original version, you’ll definitely want to have some snacks on hand. We suggest sustaining yourself with some whole-wheat molasses scones or pork pie, which you can learn how to make ahead of time in Recipes from the World of Tolkien.
Christmas Day is When it All Began
In both The Fellowship of the Ring book and film, we see Frodo, Gandalf, Legolas & Co. set out on their quest to destroy the One Ring sometime in late December. But according to Tolkien’s Appendix B, it is widely reported that he specifically had his characters leave Rivendell on none other than December 25th.
Christmas Characters Abound!
OK, this might be a stretch but some of the most popular characters in the best-selling LOTR series are, in fact, elves. And Gandalf? I mean, he kind of looks and acts like a jolly old Saint Nick, dontcha think? Plus, there is plenty of snow to go around thanks to The Pass of Caradhras.
The Father Christmas Letters
Unrelated to LOTR, J.R.R. Tolkien also wrote his own Christmas story of sorts. Titled Letters from Father Christmas, this collection features letters that Tolkien wrote to his children over a 23 year period, detailing the adventures of red gnomes, snow elves, polar bears and more. The letters were published posthumously by the Tolkien Estate and edited by Baillie Tolkien, the wife of Tolkien’s son Christopher.
And speaking of Christopher Tolkien, it is thanks to his efforts that Tolkien fans will receive a deep dive into The Second Age. Put together by Tolkien scholar David Day, The Illustrated World of Tolkien: The Second Age includes more than 120 illustrations depicting the characters and events of this 3,500-year period encompassing the cataclysmic downfall of the island kingdom of Númenor and the forging of the Rings of Power and the rise of Sauron.
Tolkien Makes the Perfect Gift
Whether you know someone who watches all 11-plus hours of LOTR every year, or you have a bibliophile on your list who loves high fantasy, Tolkien tomes are a welcome gift. New this year, The World of Tolkien: Seven-Book Boxed Set is the ultimate collector’s set. A must-have guide to the Tolkien world, this collection includes seven individual books and provides an A-to-Z dictionary of the vernacular, an atlas describing the various terra firma, an exploration of the Rings of Power, histories of battles, dark powers, heroes, and the Hobbits that started it all. More than 200 black-and-white and full-color illustrations make the pages a joy to behold as you learn all you’ll need to know about Tolkien’s fantasy realm.
