Over a decade after its final release, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is still one of my favorite film series. I’ve enjoyed The Hobbit movies but they haven’t quite matched the magic of the LOTR films. In honor of Thanksgiving and Peter Jackson’s first trilogy of movies, here’s what a Lord of the Rings Thanksgiving might look like.
Guests
One of the best parts about Tolkien’s world is how everyone is connected. The Hobbits, Elves and humans all want to think that they’re independent, but all of their lives and fates are intertwined. This connectedness makes Thanksgiving a perfect holiday for Middle-earth. I imagine that the entire Fellowship would show up for the Thanksgiving meal, including Elrond and Galdriel. Gollum might show up as an uninvited guest, like the creepy cousin no one really wants around. One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving is gathering with friends and family, catching up and sharing stories. I imagine that everyone around the table would have plenty to share and plenty to laugh about, except Boromir because he died.
Food
Most of the food in Lord of the Rings looks pretty good. The Hobbits definitely know how to eat, the humans could throw together a pretty good feast and the Elves have their lembas bread. I’d definitely put Sam and Pippin in charge of the food and have Gimli head up the drinks. I love that God created us to need both food and relationships in order to live. When we combine the two, we have one of life’s greatest and simplest joys. While the preparation for a Thanksgiving meal may not be that simple, it doesn’t take much to actually enjoy the meal together. I’m really excited to eat turkey and stuffing, but I’m even more excited to eat them with friends and family.
Conflict
If Boromir couldn’t make it to the meal due to his death, then there probably wouldn’t be a lot of conflict. Outside of One Ring-induced fits of rage, most everyone in the Fellowship got along pretty well. The only real conflict might come in the form of good-nautred ribbing between Legolas and Gimli as well as a struggle for the last piece of pie between Pippin and Gimli. I’m thankful that my family doesn’t experience much conflict at all. I can’t imagine dreading the holidays and the potential for reopening old wounds. We can always hope, though, that the conflict in our families can get resolved and old wounds can heal. We were once enemies in conflict with God, but through Christ we have become his friends. He can bring the same peace to our families.
Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday and I can’t wait to celebrate it today. We have so much for which to be thankful; we only need to take the time to think about it all. Thanksgiving Day definitely gives us that opportunity, but we should also strive to be thankful every day. But it’s OK to be extra thankful today, especially if the Bears beat the Lions.
What would you add to a Lord of the Rings Thanksgiving?
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