May the 4th be with you - It's Star Wars day!

What is Star Wars day?

Star Wars Day is an unofficial annual holiday, on which we celebrate the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. It is held on the 4th of May. 

What do we celebrate?

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”. As you might have noticed, when said out loud it sounds a lot like “May the 4th be with you” hence the date of celebrating. It’s not rocket science ;) 

The well-known catchphrase went from ‘pun’ to ‘hashtag’ to actual worldwide holiday. Lucasfilm, the company behind the Star Wars franchise has not created, declared or claimed this date and/or the holiday itself. However, many fans across the world have chosen this day to celebrate their beloved franchise. And why not? It has been so popular and has gained so many fans over the years, if any franchise should get an official holiday it should be Star Wars! Lucasfilm and its parent company Disney must agree to that, as they have also embraced this day as the annual celebration of Star Wars.

How to celebrate Star Wars day 

Whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, it’s really up to you how you celebrate May the 4th. You could (re)watch or (re)play all your favorite Star Wars movies or games. Or maybe try some of the new shows on Disney+ if you haven’t already! The Star Wars franchise is ever growing and has amazing classics, as well as groundbreaking new work. You’ll probably need more than 1 day to watch at least all movies, so you could start there. 

If you want your internal organs to join in on the Star Wars festivities, why not make some Star Wars themed snacks? Like these yummy Yoda pancakes for example: 

Or how about dressing up as your favorite 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! 

"Star Wars cosplay" by big-ashb is licensed under CC BY 2.0

There are endless ways to celebrate this fun day in a Star Wars way. The galaxy far, far away is the limit! However you like to celebrate, here’s what the official Star Wars website has to say about it: 

“Star Wars has inspired generations of fans. Whether you break out your action figures , spend some time on your screen-accurate cosplay, or simply spend some time reflecting on what Star Wars means to you, Star Wars Day is about celebrating the people who love the saga: You.

May the 4th (and the Force) be with you!”

When was Star Wars Day first celebrated?

According to the ‘origin story’ as recognized by Lucasfilm itself, the phrase was first used on May 4, 1979, which was also (completely coincidental!) the same day Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Concervative 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 not yet connected to an actual Star Wars-themed day. 

It’s hard to say what the first ‘official’ Star Wars Day celebration or -event was, as the May 4th phenomenon started gaining traction worldwide, which evolved even faster with the arrival of the internet and social media. With a franchise that has been very popular since the first movie was released in 1977, who’s to say what has been going on in the homes of fans worldwide on this particular day? 

We do know for sure that Star Wars is very much loved, enjoyed and celebrated all over the universe! Nowadays you will find a Star Wars Day snapchat filter for example, and many people (and even brands) worldwide acknowledge it as an official holiday. A lot of companies will have special Star Wars events, deals and promotions. So that’s another ‘How to celebrate Star Wars Day’ advice: keep your eyes open for some Star Wars discounts today! 

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Fun facts about Star Wars day

• Next to May the 4th, a lot of fans have also come up with Revenge of the Fifth day (May 5) as a follow-up Star Wars holiday, its name derived from Revenge of the Sith
• There’s also a Revenge/Return of the Sixth day (May 6). It’s still undecided which of these days are called what, but sure enough they are both days to celebrate Star Wars as well!
• May 25, 2007 is Star Wars Day as officially declared by the Los Angeles City Council in honor of the 30th anniversary release date of Star Wars.
• Star Wars day is featured in the Big Bang Theory: the episode aired on Thursday, May 1, 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’. 
• The first Star Wars Day celebration was organized in 2011 by Alice Quinn and Sean Ward in Toronto, Ontario. It included an event called the Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show and also had a costume contest with actual ‘celebrity judges’ like “Natasha Eloi from Space Channel, Fearless Fred from 102.1 The Edge & Teletoon, and Lauren O'Nizzle from Cosmo TV & Vitaminwater”

At the end of the (Star Wars) Day, it’s up to you how to celebrate it! Just make sure to check out our Star Wars promotion here at Startselect and, ofcourse: "May the Fourth be with you!"