September 22nd isn't just the first day of fall: it's Hobbit Day!

September 22, 1:03 PMBook ExaminerMichelle Kerns

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The Hobbit (Source: lotrscrapbook)

Celebrate your love of J.R.R. Tolkein and all things hobbitish today, the anniversary of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthdays.

O.K., O.K., really intense Tolkein fans insist that since the Shire calendar isn't exactly the same as the Gregorian calendar, the Baggins' birthdays fall on September 22nd only by Shire Reckoning (September 22nd T.A. or Third Age) and that a more appropriate celebratory day would be about September 14th. Whichever side you agree with though, its the perfect time of year to celebrate Tolkein and his classic works.

In fact, this entire week is Tolkein week and is celebrated by many lit geeks (like me) with a Long Awaited Party featuring a marathon showing of all Peter Jackson's Lord of the Ring movies (bring your sleeping bag for that one, you'll need it), and a raucous Happy Birthday Bilbo singalong--listen to one fan's rendition here.

Find some time one of these evenings after work to kick back with a good British beer (Old Peculier is my personal favorite) and enjoy some Tolkein, whether it be revisiting your favorite passages in the books, listening to the outstanding BBC Radio dramatizations (here's a fun fact--did you know that Ian Holm, the actor who portrays Bilbo in the LOTR films was also the actor who portrayed Frodo in the BBC Radio dramatizations?), or watching the movies.

Speaking of Tolkein movies, the countdown to The Hobbit movies, directed by Guillermo del Toro and with Peter Jackson as executive producer, has begun! The two film adaptations are scheduled for release in 2011 and 2012 and will feature Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Andy Serkis as Gollum. Ian Holm will not be returning as Bilbo, but it's been rumored that he will possibly portray a different character. There have been whispers about many of the LOTR ring actors, like Liv Tyler and Viggo Mortenson appearing in either or both or The Hobbit movies.

For the absolute best information about The Hobbit movie, visit The One Ring.net.