Letter 179a

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 179a
Recipient	John Tolkien
Date	20 December 1955
Subject(s)	Christmas holidays

Letter 179a is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

Tolkien writes to his son John, who was serving as a curate in Birmingham and was almost unable to come home for Christmas due to the demands of the Church. Tolkien expresses how much he will miss John's presence during the holiday but finds solace in the thought of seeing him early in the new year.

He refrained from sending a Christmas present, preferring to pick something special when John visits. In the meantime he encloses a cheque for £1, requesting John to say two masses: one for Tolkien's late mother, Mabel Tolkien, and another in honor of Our Lady. Tolkien closes the letter with wishes for John's Christmas to include both joy and spiritual labor, expressing his love and asking for prayers for his own needs.