Fans of JRR Tolkien and his works of fantasy will know that the 22nd of September is a very special day. Every year, Hobbit Day celebrates the birthdays of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins – two of the bravest Hobbits you’ll ever meet. 

Heroes of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy respectively, these characters have become more than just names on pages for many. 

Symbols of bravery, perseverance and friendship, Hobbits are wonderful creatures that deserve to be celebrated – even if only for one day a year. 

5 Delightful Facts about Hobbits  

If you’ve never heard of Hobbits or the antics they get up to while on their adventures, you must be living in a Hobbit hole! Here are a few facts you need to know about these wonderful creatures. 

✓ Short in Stature – While found in a world of Elves, Ents, and Wizards, Hobbits are short. They measure between 2 and 4 feet in height and rarely grow any larger. 

✓ Hobbits are trademarked – Elves and Dwarves are prominent races in the books by JRR Tolkien, but Hobbits are his own creation. The company Middle-earth Enterprises owns the trademark for the name. 

✓ They live long lives – The average lifespan of a Hobbit is 100 years. Thanks to Bilbo owning The One Ring for as long as he did, he lives to be well over 130 years old. 

“My dear Frodo!’ exclaimed Gandalf. ‘Hobbits really are amazing creatures, as I have said before. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you at a pinch.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring 

✓ Hobbits LOVE to eat – A mere 3 meals a day would never do for a fully grown Hobbit! According to the books, there are 6 meals a day which include Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenses, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea, and Dinner. Fans of the movies will remember that there’s a 7th meal mentioned after dinner: Supper. 

✓ Sneaky and silent – Hobbits put their hairy feet to good use by being almost silent when they want to be. They can also blend into their environments almost seamlessly when needed. 

From Books to Video Games 

The Hobbit was the first book by JRR Tolkien to mention Hobbits and it was released in 1937. Written for children, the book tells of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins – a Hobbit who sets off on an adventure and returns to tell the tales. 

In 1954, Tolkien released The Lord of the Rings, the first of 3 books that told another story of Hobbits and their bravery. This time starring Frodo, Bilbo’s nephew as the hero. The books took the love children had for The Hobbit and gave them a ‘grown-up’ epic adventure almost 20 years later. 

Over the course of 3 years, from 2001 to 2003, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King hit the box office. Around the world, fans both new and old flocked to see this wonderful tale come to life. To this day, it is one of the most popular and beloved fantasy film trilogies in history. 

In 2012, the first of a trilogy of movies was released that told a slightly different version of the story found in the books. Unfortunately, the movies were a let-down for many fans and they were not well received. 

Thankfully, the adventure doesn’t have to stop with the books and movies. Many video games have also been created as part of the Tolkien universe. LEGO video games, early PlayStation games, and even Lord of the Rings Online were made available to fans. The most recent and epic creation was Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.  

Console fans can look forward to exploring Middle Earth as Gollum in 2021 with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. 

Hobbits Save the Day 

To commemorate the release of The Hobbit films in 2012, Air New Zealand released a 4-minute safety video that featured well-known characters and creatures from the Tolkien universe. 

Hairy-footed hobbits, beautiful Elves, and even Gandalf the Grey makes an appearance as the pilot. 

Funny and delightful to watch, the video has received more than 13 million views since is was released and racked up more than 7 million views within the first few weeks! 

Lord of the Slots? 

While we’d love to point you in the direction of a few Lord of the Rings inspired Online Slots, unfortunately, that’s no longer possible. 

Microgaming, creator of the only Lord of the Rings online slot which featured images and clips from the movie, dropped the slot in 2012. No longer can you adventure with the Fellowship of the Ring as they set off to conquer evil. 

Microgaming had two more online slots in the pipeline but instead cut their losses and replaced the games with Batman slots. 

While you can’t enjoy Tolkien-inspired online slots, if you’re searching for magic, we’d suggest taking a look at Magic Merlin Megaways by Microgaming, Lord of the Ocean Magic by Novomatic, and Ring of Odin by Play'n Go. 

Play at one of our recommended and trusted online casinos for the ultimate magical experience!