Today Is January 3

J.R.R. Tolkien Day on January 3 is The Lord of the Rings author’s birthday. Each year at 9pm local time on that date fans honor the legacy of The Professor with a Tolkien birthday toast. (Tolkien’s Birthday – January 3rd 1892).

The celebration comes from the Lord of The Rings story that after Bilbo left the Shire on his eleventy-first birthday, Frodo toasted his uncle's birthday every year. Now, over sixty years after the trilogy’s original publication, The Tolkien Society asks fans from across the world to celebrate the Professor’s birthday with a simple toast-drinking ceremony. All you need to do is stand, raise a glass of your choice of drink (not necessarily alcoholic), and say the words “The Professor” before taking a sip (or swig, if that's more appropriate for your drink).