Today is Tolkien Reading Day^[1]! The Tolkien Society^[2] started the tradition of Tolkien Reading Day in 2003, encouraging fans to celebrate Tolkien’s life and work by reading their favorite passages from Tolkien’s books. The date of March 25 coincides with the date of the destruction of the One Ring and the downfall of Sauron.

The Tolkien Society^[3] chooses a theme^[4] for the annual event. The theme of this year’s Tolkien Reading Day^[5] is friendship. Some of us from the Middle-earth News team reflected on what Tolkien taught us about friendship, and the friendships that Tolkien has brought to us.

Alice

After spending an entire decade on my own, The Hobbit movies brought me something I always wanted: friends who shared my same passion. Tolkien’s work has never been very popular here in Italy and when I decided to write about him in my middle school small thesis, both my parents and my professor thought I was a weird child. I will always be grateful to Tolkien and, well, also to Peter Jackson. Their works brought me to Middle-earth News and, consequently, to life-long friendships. My ‘Tolkien friends’ are those who actually get me, even if we don’t speak the same language (English is not my mother tongue)! Middle-earth is my safe haven and so are my international friends. I can brag that I know actual Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves, which is amazing.

Myla

Thanks to Tolkien and his works I’ve made some fantastic friends including every member of the Middle-earth News family. We were able to find each other through our mutual love and respect for the Professor and my Middle-earth love has just grown ever since I joined the team. I’ve also been fortunate enough to make friends with fellow fans through sites such as Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook. I’m grateful that there is a whole community of people who get me when I talk about how awesome hobbits are or how beautiful Rohan armor is or how beautifully heartbreaking “Into the West” is. The world Tolkien created is full of amazing friendships and it has the power to create friendships. I’m trying not to get too sappy, but I do feel that we are eternally bound by friendship and love. Happy Tolkien Reading Day!

Valdís

I first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was 8 years old. Tolkien’s Middle-earth immediately became my passion. My friends mostly thought I was crazy. Until a few years ago, I had never met anyone with that same passion for Tolkien. Then, thanks to a series of fateful events – or perhaps the will of a wizard – I came to Middle-earth News. At last, I had found my people! Others who can talk endlessly about Middle-earth, who have deep emotional attachments to Tolkien characters, who weep oceans of tears watching The Lord of the Rings films. Middle-earth News is MY Fellowship of the Ring. They understand my heart. Tolkien brought me to these wonderful friendships within our Middle-earth News family, and led me to the wider fan community. I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities to meet you in the past year! Dragon Con, the Los Angeles premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, TheOneRing.net’s “One Last Party,” on our social feeds, and here on our site. I look forward to more merry meetings in the future! A star shines on the hour of our meeting! Happy Tolkien Reading Day, my friends!

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Author: Valdis^[6] Valdís is a classic nerd, with many geeky interests, but her life-long love of Tolkien rules them all. She was completely hooked the first time that she read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings at age 8. Since then, she has read the books at least once a year, and delves into Middle-earth at every opportunity with a fervor that would make any dwarf proud. She also deeply loves Peter Jackson’s films, and defends them staunchly when need arises. When reality forces her out of Middle-earth, Valdís is a university professor, a wife, mother of two daughters, and servant to two cats.

References

1. ^{^} Tolkien Reading Day, The Tolkien Society (www.tolkiensociety.org)
2. ^{^} The Tolkien Society (www.tolkiensociety.org)
3. ^{^} The Tolkien Society (www.tolkiensociety.org)
4. ^{^} Tolkien Reading Day, The Tolkien Society (www.tolkiensociety.org)
5. ^{^} Tolkien Reading Day, The Tolkien Society (www.tolkiensociety.org)
6. ^{^} Posts by Valdis (middleearthnews.com)