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.