May the Fourth Be With You: A History of Star Wars Day

For the devoted Star Wars fan no single day deserves more Star Wars love than any other. But then again, those of us who buy into distant intergalactic battles happening "a long time ago," and a mystical energy field wielded by robe-wearing warriors also appreciate a genuinely good pun. This is at the heart of celebrating May the 4th, or Star Wars Day as it's now recognized, a semi-official holiday that dates back much further than social media. In fact, it may be the longest running and most recognized fan-initiated pop-culture holiday.

But despite advertisers and Star Wars licensees exploiting the popularity of the date, Star Wars Day is first and foremost a day of celebration for fans of the franchise, and its grassroots beginnings prove its staying power.

May the 4th — a play on "May the Force be with you" — has served as Star Wars Day in a more official capacity since 2013, when Disney started acknowledging the holiday a year after it acquired Lucasfilm. Building off of fan spirit and established events for the pun-tacular date, Disney took double advantage of the play on words and the annual anniversary date of Star Wars: A New Hope's May release. However, the saying "May the 4th be with you" has been used as far back as 1979, two years after Star Wars: A New Hope was released.

Alan Arnold, author of Once Upon a Galaxy: A Journal of the Making of The Empire Strikes Back, wrote that in 1979 Britain’s Conservative Party celebrated the election of British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, by taking out a full-page ad in the London Evening News. The ad read, "May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations." This was for Thatcher's inauguration date as Prime Minister: May 4, 1979. In only two years, Star Wars' Jedi catchphrase was recognizable enough to be used colloquially.

It turns out British politicians are rather fond of the May the 4th pun, most likely because their general elections often fall on dates in early May. In 1994, UK politician Harry Cohen used the pun in a meeting of the House of Commons, quipping that it was "a very bad joke." In 2012, London Mayor Boris Johnson used the phrase in his acceptance speech.

The Toronto Underground Cinema started its annual festival, Star Wars Day Toronto, in 2011, marking the largest organized event for the unofficial holiday at the time. These days, there are events held all over the world. Disneyland does several days worth of Star Wars nighttime events. Bars and clubs everywhere throw themed May 4 events, especially Star Wars-themed bars. This year, LEGO enthusiasts can even swing by their local LEGO stores between May 4 and May 6 to build a free Porg.

May the 4th Festivals are held all over, it's just a matter of checking your local listings for something nearby.

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Many fans don't celebrate Star Wars Day by attending large-scale events. For some, sharing the pun or a related meme on social media suffices, while others use the day as an excuse to rewatch the films, hold costume parties, and organize crafting events. There are articles all over the Internet, just filled with Star Wars-related things to do for May 4.

Of course, Star Wars devotees understand that the light side must be in balance with the dark side, so the commercialization of the holiday is our burden to bear. Brands have taken full advantage of the far-reaching ardor of Star Wars followers by capitalizing on the likelihood of people buying anything with a tie-in to the franchise. However, for those looking for a good deal, the holiday does prove to have a few advantages. Disney tracks all the various Star Wars deals making it all too easy to use Star Wars Day as an excuse to get in gift shopping for the Star Wars zealot of the family.

May the 4th in 2018 comes only months after Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released, and arrives just three weeks before Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters. With Episode IX on its way for a December 2019 release, an animated series, Star Wars Resistance, due this Fall, Star Wars: Galaxy Edge theme park attractions opening in both California and Florida in 2019, and plans underway for Game of Thrones' creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to produce a whole new series set in the Star Wars universe, there is probably no other franchise in the world more deserving of an ongoing annual holiday.

The enormity of George Lucas' brainchild means there is an entry point for everyone. May the 4th is the day when devotees and dabblers alike unite — almost as though through an invisible energy field that binds the galaxy together, hmm. So whether you're in it for the super sales or an excuse for some cosplay and movie-marathoning, Star Wars Day is for the masses.

And if one day of celebrating Star Wars isn't enough for you, you can always keep the party going into Revenge of the Fifth...