Tolkien Reading Day 2017

Image by Arwen Kester from Middle-earth News http://middleearthnews.com

It’s almost Tolkien Reading Day! Held annually on March 25th, Tolkien Reading Day is an annual event to celebrate works of author J.R.R Tolkien. According to the Tolkien Society,

Tolkien Reading Day is held on the 25th of March each year.

It has been organised by the Tolkien Society since 2003 to encourage fans to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favourite passages. We particularly encourage schools, museums and libraries to host their own Tolkien Reading Day events.

Why 25 March?

The 25th of March is the date of the downfall of the Lord of the Rings (Sauron) and the fall of Barad-dûr. It’s as simple as that!

It will be easy for me to participate this year, since I’m currently in the middle of Brona’s Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Readlong. Though I haven’t much time to blog about it lately, I’m deep in the Old Forest with four hobbits and Tom Bombadil. I’ve been enjoying this leisurely rereading of Lord of the Rings, getting in a chapter here and a chapter there. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m reading the Millennium edition, which divides the trilogy into six books. The schedule for the readalong is to read one of those six books each month. Here’s how it breaks out for the Millennium Edition:

• March: The Ring Sets Out (Fellowship of the Ring, part I)
• April: The Ring Goes South (Fellowship of the Ring, part II)
• May: The Treason of Isengard (The Two Towers, part I)
• June: The Ring Goes East (The Two Towers, part II)
• July: The War of the Ring (The Return of the King, part I)
• August: The End of the Third Age (The Return of the King, part II)

I know that some find the first half of Fellowship of the Ring slow going, but this is one my favorite parts of the entire series. Old Man Willow, the Barrow Downs, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry–it’s a great pleasure to visit them again.

In honor of Tolkien Reading Day, I’ll carve out more time than usual this Saturday to read from The Ring Sets Out.

Do you have any plans to participate this year?