Jan. 3 marks J.R.R. Tolkien‘s 125th birthday – and to celebrate, fans will be raising their glasses to the beloved Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit author, who died on Sept. 2 1973.
Fans who take part in the celebration are encouraged to share their pictures on social media using the hashtag #TolkienBirthdayToast at 9pm (whatever their local time is). The U.K.-based Tolkien Society organized the event have asked participants to simply say “The Professor” as they raise their glasses.
Today is J.R.R. Tolkien's twelfthty-fifth birthday!
Raise a glass to the Professor at 9pm. #TolkienBirthdayToasthttps://t.co/LoZsAXf0ZV pic.twitter.com/7OTTK8gMfx
— The Tolkien Society (@TolkienSociety) January 3, 2017
According to the Tolkien Society, when Bilbo Baggins left the Shire on his 111st birthday in The Lord of the Rings, his nephew, Frodo, toasted his birthday on Sept. 22 every year.
On Nov. 3 last year, a poem by Tolkien was published for the first time since its original 1945 release. “The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun,” a lengthy poem about a desperate couple wishing to have a child who seek the help of a witch, was described by Tolkien scholars as coming from the “darker side” of the English author’s imagination.
See some photos of toasts from around the world below.
The Professor!#TolkienBirthdayToast@Eorlingas_ID @TolkienSociety pic.twitter.com/2XIJnlJYvh
— Glitter Blue (@trenggiling09) January 3, 2017
The professor!!!