Christmas shopping on a budget can be really tricky, but I’m about to make it easier. If you know a special someone on your shopping list is a big fan of The Lord of the Rings, the Rings of Power, or Tolkien’s wonderful fantasy books, I have the perfect present idea for you. And unlike a lot of specialist nerdy merch, this is refreshingly affordable.
The official Tolkien Calendar is something I treat myself to every year because I’m obsessed with his legendarium. Right now, the 2025 edition only costs $13.59 at Amazon down from its regular $16.99 price, and it’ll arrive in time for December 25 if you order now. For LOTR geeks like me, this calendar is gold dust for so many reasons, but when it comes in under $15 it’s a no-brainer.
The 2025 edition pays homage to The History of Middle Earth, which is a 12-volume series of books published after JRR Tolkien’s passing but collated and edited by his son Christopher. I’ll tell you why, from my perspective, this is a must-buy gift for any Tolkien fan in a second, but before I get started, let’s look at the specifics of the deal.
Should you buy the Official Tolkien Calendar for 2025?
Physical calendars are often viewed as pointless in this day and age of digital calendars and planners we carry around with us on our phones. I disagree though, because with Tolkien’s Official calendar hanging on my wall, each new month has a distinct feel to it. If you live with someone else, you can also use a physical calendar to write reminders of things you do together.
From the Tolkien-obsessed point of view though, the official Tolkien calendar is akin to the best gifts for gamers. It features authentic paintings and illustrations from veteran Tolkien artists like John Howe, who helped Peter Jackson with concept art for his films. Not only that, but each piece of art has a small blurb beneath it which puts it into context from a novel or tale from Tolkien’s works. I love these in particular because even if it’s a more obscure tale from the Silmarillion I may have forgotten about, I feel like I’m pouring over old maps or reading old Ring lore by candlelight in the bowels of Minas Tyrith.
With 2025’s edition, you get a foreword from Brian Sibley, who’s written countless adaptions and guidebooks for various Lord of the Rings books. Perhaps most notably, he wrote a biography of Peter Jackson and edited the book The Fall of Numenor before its release in 2022.
With such an affordable price tag, this is the sort of authentic, loving gift you can get someone special in your life that isn’t going to keep you from being able to spend money on other people too.
Looking for something for the gamer in your life? Check out the best PS5 gifts, the best Xbox Series X gifts, and the best Nintendo Switch gifts.