Happy Birthday to Bilbo and Frodo, and happy Hobbit Day to the rest of us!

Apparently Hobbit Day was created in 1978 by the American Tolkien Society and has been celebrated ever since, although no governments have yet adopted it as a recognised National Holiday.

I don’t know if I’d like that: somehow the idea of the day creeping in past the watchful gaze of International Bodies as their attention is turned elsewhere, and just quietly popping up on your timeline and going “Well, I’m back.” seems about as hobbit-ish as it can get.

And a good reminder to me that I have a half of the last movie to watch yet. I started a re-watch back in July and between holidays and one thing and another haven’t finished it. Perhaps I’ll settle down after work with a pot of tea and a cake of uncertain provenance to finish it off. Or I’ll wait and start the first movie again despite not getting to the Grey Havens yet.

But, perhaps, every day is Hobbit Day to those who live quietly, gently and without fuss. I love my home, my family, making life a cosy and hyggely experience. I love time in my garden, time in nature, time spent reflecting on life in general. One of the great pleasures of The Lord of the Rings is the depiction of hobbit life, the homes, the cosiness, the hygge. Simple lives need protecting, and I’m glad there are people prepared to work hard to do that, but sometimes the life itself is worth making a fuss of. Tolkien himself recognises the power of food, friends and fellowship. Just look at some of his lines he wrote! And then tell me this wasn’t a man who, having seen what hell could be during the First World War, appreciated the peace of a fire, a pipe, a pint and a person to share it with.

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

Or

“I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”

Or, of Rivendell, the last homely house east of the sea,

“It was a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep, or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear and sadness.”

Whether you celebrate it or not, whether you love or hate the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, whether you like fantasy or loathe unreality: Have a blessed and peaceful day. Enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and let it be a day of breathing deeply and saying “Well, I’m back.”

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. It always feels good if you get a book back in return for some money. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are my Christmas books:

 Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas is a good place to start, on how to make the season cosier, happier and more personal. Using the principles of hygge (simplicity, handmade, home-based) it aims to encourage you to craft a Christmas rather than dive into the Same Old Same Old without a thought. September and October is a good time to reconsider teh celebration before racing into December and the season of overconsumption hits.

 Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas may be a faster and easier read. It has short lists of ways to cut Christmas preparation to the bones, along with a kind of advent calendar of simple, free and easy self-care activities to remind you that taking time out for yourself is no bad thing. It is only available as an e-book.

My non-Christmas books are also available, of course:

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better. The book has small and easy ways to make your life flow with grace and happiness, which lead to more hygge.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human. And it’s always the little things.

I’m currently working on two book projects: I have a hankering to rewrite 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way, so it’s not available at the moment, but even dearer to my heart and my next stated aim is to finish and publish my next book, Simple Plus Cosy = Hygge. It will be about homemaking and how the home we create shapes the hygge we have. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of Winter 2026.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it or save it so others can enjoy reading, thinking about and living hygge as well.

The photo between post and promotions is from my camera roll, a bench in my local park one weekend. I love the autumnal feel, the wet path and