Staubbach Falls at Lauterbrunnen, Canton of Bern, Switzerland

The steps before the saga. J.R.R. Tolkien Day

Our picture of the day takes us to the Swiss village of Lauterbrunnen, where the Staubbach Falls shimmers in the distance beyond a quiet alpine valley. This is the landscape a young traveler, J.R.R. Tolkien, crossed during a hiking trip in 1911, long before he became the storyteller behind 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit.' Its soaring cliffs, silver waterfalls, and crisp mountain air left a lasting impression and are believed to have inspired his vision of Rivendell, the elven refuge hidden deep in Middle-earth.

On January 3—Tolkien's birthday—fans across the globe celebrate Tolkien Day, raising a toast at 9 PM to 'The Professor.' The tradition, started by The Tolkien Society in 1972, recalls both Frodo's toast to Bilbo and the writer's years at Oxford, where he spent a lifetime shaping modern fantasy—interweaving language, legend, and moral courage into timeless tales. Today, admirers honor not just an author but a world-maker—one who showed that even the smallest journey can lead to greatness, and that wonder awaits, ever-present, just beyond the familiar.