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Star Wars Day: May the 4th be with you!
Star Wars Day is the international fan-day for fans of the science fiction series worldwide. So mark May 4th on your calendar to celebrate this special day! But what exactly is the origin of this unofficial holiday, and what do we celebrate? We’ve looked into it for you, and here’s what we found!
May 4th Star Wars Day
Star Wars Day is held on the 4th of May. It’s an unofficial holiday, on which we celebrate George Lucas’s Star Wars media franchise and pretty much everything that has something to do with Star Wars. The reason it is celebrated on the 4th of May, is because of the pun on the famous Star Wars catchphrase: “May the Force be with you”. It sounds a lot like “May the 4th be with you”. Funny, right?
Star Wars Day was not created by Lucasfilm
According to the ‘origin story’ as recognized by Lucasfilm itself, the phrase was first used on May 4th, 1979, which was coincidentally also the day Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party reportedly placed a headline in the London evening news that read, “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.” This is supposedly where the ‘pun’ was first used, but it was then not yet connected to an actual Star Wars-themed day.
When was the first May 4th Star Wars Day?
The catchphrase was quickly picked up by Star Wars fans and went from ‘pun’ to ‘hashtag’ to actual worldwide holiday. Since the popularity is mostly focussed on the internet and social media, it is hard to say when the first official Star Wars day was. However, many fans across the world have chosen this day to celebrate their beloved series, and eventually the franchise couldn’t stay behind. Disney, who owns the series now, has completely embraced Star Wars Day with special festivities every year.
And why not? Star Wars has gained so many fans over the years, if any franchise should get an official holiday, it should be Star Wars!
Celebrate Star Wars day!
Whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, it’s always fun to celebrate May the 4th in a special way. That’s why we have some inspiration for you:
- Watch all your favourite Star Wars movies: With 11 movies, six shows and still more in the making, you can enjoy Star Wars for countless hours on end. Grab some popcorn and install yourself on the couch for a true binge-fest.
- Play your favourite Star Wars games: Want to be even closer to the action? Play a Star Wars game! The franchise has made multiple great games over the years, and you can get your favourite Star Wars games right here at Startselect!
- Bake something Star Wars: Snacks are always a good idea, so why not make some Star Wars themed snacks? Try yummy Yoda pancakes, a chocolate Chewbacca cake or some delicious Ewok sushi!
- Cosplay as your favourite Star Wars Character: You could do it (Han) Solo, but everything gets better if you add a Storm Trooper or Darth Vader friend to your party!
Fun facts about Star Wars Day
Can’t get enough of Star Wars Day? Check out these fun facts about May the 4th:
- Revenge of the Fifth and Return of the Sixth: Next to May the 4th, fans also came up with Revenge of the Fifth day on May 5ht. The name is derived from Revenge of the Sith. Aside from that, there’s also a Revenge/Return of the Sixth day on May 6th. It’s still undecided which of these days are called what, but sure enough they are both days to celebrate Star Wars as well!
- Official Star Wars Day in Los Angeles: On May 25th, 2007 Star Wars Day was officially declared by the Los Angeles City Council in honour of the 30th anniversary of the series.
- Star Wars Day and The Big Bang Theory: Star Wars day is featured in the Big Bang Theory: the episode aired on Thursday, May 1st, 2014, which was three days before actual Star Wars Day. The episode is called "The Proton Transmogrification". In it, the Big Bang friends are all preparing for Star Wars day by watching the movies (and discussing in which order they should be watched). They also eat a special ‘Death Star cake’.
