Star Wars Day

Star Wars Day may refer to one of several dates or events honoring or involving Star Wars.^[1]

May 4

This day is considered an official holiday by Star Wars fans to celebrate Star Wars culture and honor the films.^[2]

May 4 is called Star Wars Day (also sometimes known as Luke Skywalker Day) because of the popularity of a common pun spoken on this day. Since the phrase "May the Force be with you" is a famous quote often spoken in the Star Wars films, fans commonly say "May the fourth be with you" on this day. Star Wars fans were not the first to introduce the line "May the Fourth Be with You"; When Margaret Thatcher was elected Britain's first female Prime Minister on May 4, 1979, her party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News that said: "May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations."^[3]

This reading of the line has also been recorded in the UK Parliament's Hansard.^[4]

In a 2005 interview on German news TV channel N24, George Lucas was asked to say this famous sentence: "May the Force be with you." The interpreter simultaneously interpreted into German: Am 4. Mai sind wir bei Ihnen ("We shall be with you on May 4"). This was captured by TV Total and aired on May 18, 2005.^[5]

In 2011, the first organized celebration of Star Wars Day took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Festivities included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show, a costume contest with celebrity judges, and the web's best tribute films, mash-ups, parodies, and remixes on the big screen. The second annual edition is scheduled to take place on Friday, May 4, 2012.^[6]

May 25

The Los Angeles City Council declared^[7] May 25, 2007 as Star Wars Day, in honor of the May 25, 1977 release date of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. A separate initiative for observing Geek Pride Day on May 25 is based on the Star Wars connection along with ties to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Discworld.

References