Around the Party Tree

Mar 25

Tolkien Reading Day

Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day

Tolkien Reading Day

The Grey Wanderer

Tolkien Reading Day

Around the Party Tree

Today's Musings, History & Folklore

"Today is my eleventy-first birthday!"

~ The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien 1954

If today is your eleventy-first birthday, well ... Congratulations and Happy Birthday! 🤪

If you still have some years to go yet, might someone you know be celebrating a “first” birthday—21st, 31st, 41st… 71st, 81st, 91st, 101st… or even the grand eleventy-first (111th)? Take a leaf from the pages of The Fellowship of the Ring and mark the occasion as the hobbits would: with dancing around a Party Tree!

Tolkien Reading Day invites us to step, if only for a moment, into Middle-earth—and few scenes capture its warmth more perfectly than the Party Tree in the Shire.

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), Oxford professor of Anglo-Saxon, philologist, and master storyteller, drew deeply on myth, language, and his own experiences in the First World War. His legendarium—especially The Lord of the Rings—has shaped modern fantasy like no other, weaving timeless themes of courage, loss, and hope into a richly imagined world.

In the green heart of the Shire, near Hobbiton, stood a great tree known simply as the Party Tree. Beneath its branches lay the Party Field, where hobbits gathered for laughter, dancing, and the simple joy of being together.

It was here that Bilbo Baggins gave his famous eleventy-first birthday party—lanterns glowing, tables spread, and merriment in full swing, just before the wider world beyond the Shire began to shift.

This round-the-room 40-bar jig by Peggy Hamilton of the Sacramento, California branch is perfect for any number of lively hobbit couples, circling a central tree, a maypole, an obliging bit of greenery—or even a seated guest of honour celebrating one of those “first” birthdays: 21st, 31st, 71st… all the way to eleventy-first.

With plenty of setting and pas de basques, it’s a cheerful, energetic dance, especially suited to the younger folk of the Shire. And of course, a little modified setting is always an option —so the dancing may continue for as long as your feet are willing to carry you! 💚 🤎 💚 📚 🕺 💃 🎶 🎂

Around the Party Tree

Tolkien Reading Day is held on the 25th of March each year, organised by the Tolkien Society since 2003 to encourage readers to celebrate and share the life and works of J. R. R. Tolkien by returning to favourite passages, whether aloud, with friends, or quietly on one’s own.

The date is no accident. In The Lord of the Rings, the 25th of March marks the downfall of Sauron and the destruction of the One Ring, when Barad-dûr collapses and the long shadow over Middle-earth is finally lifted. It is, in many ways, the turning point from darkness to renewal—an ending that opens the way to healing, homecoming, and the quiet joys of the Shire.

Tolkien’s legendarium, spanning works such as The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and his many letters and essays, draws on deep roots of mythology, language, and folklore. His stories are filled not only with epic quests and ancient histories, but also with simple, enduring pleasures: good food, loyal friendship, songs by the fire, and the steady courage of ordinary folk.

So take up a book, find a comfortable chair (or a shady tree, if you prefer something more hobbit-like), and read a passage aloud. And of course, this day, as any day, is an excuse to dance!

For more on this year's Tolkien Reading Day theme, click his portrait!

Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!