Tolkien Reading Day (March 25)
Tolkien Reading Day on March 25 is one of those niche literary holidays that fantasy fans genuinely look forward to each year. Organized around a key moment in The Lord of the Rings, it’s less about commercial celebration and more about simply sitting down and reading.
If you’ve ever reread a favorite passage from Middle-earth or introduced a child to hobbits for the first time, this day gives you a reason to slow down and do exactly that.
It’s also one of the more thoughtful weird holidays in March, especially for families who love books.
When is the Holiday?
Tolkien Reading Day is observed every year on March 25. The date isn’t random. Within The Lord of the Rings, this date marks the fall of Sauron and the destruction of the One Ring, the symbolic end of darkness in the Third Age.
Who Invented It?
The holiday was launched in 2003 by the Tolkien Society. Rather than creating a festival-style event, the Society simply encouraged people to read Tolkien on that day, often around a shared annual theme.
The History of the Holiday
Unlike many themed days that start on social media, Tolkien Reading Day came from an academic and fan community already deeply engaged with his work.
Each year, the Tolkien Society selects a theme, past examples have included “Travel and Adventure” and “Love and Friendship.” Schools, libraries, and reading groups often use these themes to guide discussions or select specific passages.
Because Tolkien was both a storyteller and a scholar, the day appeals to two audiences:
• casual readers who love the adventure
• scholars who study his language, mythology, and narrative structure
It’s one of the rare literary observances that bridges fandom and academia.
Facts About the Holiday
- March 25 is the day in The Lord of the Rings, the One Ring is destroyed, and Sauron falls. Tolkien chose that date carefully in his fictional timeline, which makes it one of the few literary holidays tied directly to an in-story event.
- J. R. R. Tolkien didn’t start out as a novelist. He was a philologist at University of Oxford, fascinated by how languages evolved. In fact, he began inventing Elvish languages years before writing The Hobbit. The stories grew out of the languages, not the other way around.
- The holiday itself was introduced in 2003 by the Tolkien Society, and each year they suggest a theme to guide readers. Some years focus on friendship, others on journeys or courage. It keeps the day from feeling repetitive.
- Middle-earth was never meant to be a separate fantasy planet. Tolkien described it as a distant, mythic past of our own world. That’s why the landscapes feel so grounded, they’re rooted in Northern European geography and legend.
- Tolkien and his wife Edith share a grave in Oxford marked with the names “Beren” and “Lúthien,” two lovers from his legendarium. Their real-life relationship directly inspired one of the most important stories in The Silmarillion.
Coloring Page
If you’re celebrating with kids or simply want a quiet activity to go along with your reading, this Tolkien Reading Day coloring page is an easy way to bring Middle-earth into the day.
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Activities to Celebrate
The simplest way to mark the day is to actually read something, and it doesn’t have to be ambitious. A single chapter of The Hobbit read aloud after dinner feels just as meaningful as tackling an entire trilogy. If you have younger readers, even a favorite scene revisited counts.
Some families like to follow the Tolkien Society’s annual theme and choose a passage that fits. It turns a casual reading session into something a little more intentional without making it feel like homework.
If you’ve already read the books, this can be a good excuse to compare a chapter with its film adaptation. Reading a scene first and then watching it sparks surprisingly thoughtful conversations about what directors change, and why.
For something hands-on, try writing your name in Tengwar using one of the printable charts available online. Kids especially enjoy seeing their own names transformed into Elvish script.
You could also lean into the cozy side of Middle-earth. Bake a simple shortbread and call it lembas, put on an audiobook while drawing maps, or spend a quiet afternoon sketching your own version of the Shire. It doesn’t need to be elaborate. The heart of the day is just spending time in a world that rewards rereading.
Links to Resources
If you’d like to go a little deeper than a reread of The Hobbit, these are genuinely useful places to start.
The Tolkien Society shares the annual theme for Tolkien Reading Day along with discussion prompts and study materials. It’s the best place to see how others are marking the occasion each year.
Wheaton College’s Tolkien Collection holds one of the largest archives of Tolkien materials in North America. Their site highlights manuscripts, letters, and academic research, which is fascinating if you’re curious how his ideas developed over time.
The Road to Middle-earth by Tom Shippey is often considered one of the most accessible scholarly guides to Tolkien’s world-building. It explains how his background in language and medieval literature shaped Middle-earth in ways casual readers might not notice.
A Question of Time by Verlyn Flieger looks at Tolkien’s unusual treatment of time, especially in The Silmarillion, and why it feels so different from modern fantasy.
For younger readers, Who Was J.R.R. Tolkien? gives a simple, engaging overview of his life without overwhelming detail. It works well as a companion before introducing the novels.
If you’re more interested in fandom and cultural impact, Why We Love Middle-earth explores how Tolkien’s stories continue to influence readers, filmmakers, and fantasy writers decades later.
Related Holidays
- Free Comic Book Day (First Saturday in May) – A celebration of graphic storytelling and fantasy worlds, often with free special editions at local comic shops.
- Sherlock Holmes Day (May 22) – Honors another iconic British author and is a great excuse to revisit classic detective fiction.
- National Book Lovers Day (August 9) – A simple celebration of reading in all forms, perfect for picking up a long-overdue reread.
- National Read a Book Day (September 6) – A reminder to unplug and spend time with a physical book, whether it’s Tolkien or something new.
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