| Star Wars Day | |
|---|---|
 Lucasfilm's official marketing logo | |
| Observed by | Star Wars fans |
| Type | Secular |
| Significance | CelebratingStar Wars |
| Date | May 4 |
| Next time | May 4, 2026 (2026-05-04) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 2011 |
| Related to | Geek Pride Day |
Star Wars Day is an informalcommemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate theStar Warsmedia franchise created by filmmakerGeorge Lucas.[1] Observance of the day spread quickly through media andgrassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977.[2][3]
The date originated from thepun "May the Fourth be with you", from theStar Warscatchphrase "Maythe Force be with you."[1] Even though the holiday was not created or declared byLucasfilm, manyStar Wars fans have chosen to celebrate the holiday.[4] It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm andthe Walt Disney Company as an annual celebration ofStar Wars.
The release date of the originalStar Wars movie, May 25, 1977, is celebrated by some asGeek Pride Day.[5]
The first recorded reference of the phrase being used was on Thursday May 3, 1979, the day of the1979 UK General Election in whichMargaret Thatcherwas elected asPrime Minister of theUnited Kingdom. To express their support before the votes were counted, her political party, theConservatives, purchased a half-page advertisement on page 13 of theLondon Evening News reading "Dear Maggie, May the Fourth Be with You. Your Party Workers."[6][7]
In the 1988 episode ofCount Duckula, "The Vampire Strikes Back", a space-faring superhero, Tremendous Terrance, asks Duckula the date and is told, "May the Fourth". As Terrance departs, he tells all below, "May the Fourth be with you."[8][9]
The phrase was used in aUK Parliament defence debate on May 4, 1994.[10]
Astrophysicist and authorJeanne Cavelos used the saying on page 94 of her 1999 bookThe Science of Star Wars.[11]
In 2008, the first Facebook groups appeared, celebrating Luke Skywalker Day, with the same catchphrase.[12]
In 2011, the first organized celebration ofStar Wars Day took place inToronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Produced by Sean Ward and Alice Quinn, 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 took place on Friday, May 4, 2012.[13][14][15]
Fans (including government officials, such asBoris Johnson[16]) have celebratedStar Wars in a variety of ways in social media and on television.
Major League Baseball, association football, andcollege sports teams have paid tribute toStar Wars in different ways.[17][18]Minor League Baseball teams such as theToledo Mud Hens[19] and theDurham Bulls[20] have worn special uniforms as part ofStar Wars Day promotions.
OnStar Wars Day 2015, astronauts in theInternational Space Station watchedStar Wars.[21] Also in 2015, the carillon bells inside thePeace Tower onParliament Hill inOttawa, Canada played "The Imperial March" theme fromStar Wars, among other space-related tunes.[22]
In June 2021, it was announced thatCarrie Fisher would receive a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2022. She received the star onStar Wars Day, May 4, 2023.[23][24]
Since 2013,The Walt Disney Company has officially observed the holiday with severalStar Wars events and festivities atDisneyland andWalt Disney World.[25][26] Disney had purchased Lucasfilm, including the rights toStar Wars, in late 2012.[27]
The finale ofThe Clone Wars was made available onDisney+ on May 4, 2020.[28]Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as well as the documentary seriesDisney Gallery: The Mandalorian, were also made available on Disney+ the same day.[29][30] OnStar Wars Day 2021, the animated seriesStar Wars: The Bad Batch also premiered on Disney+, along with the short filmMaggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap".[31][32] The second trailer forObi-Wan Kenobi was released on May 4, 2022, as well asDisney Gallery: The Book of Boba Fett. The second volume ofStar Wars: Visions, the short filmMaggie Simpson in "Rogue Not Quite One" andStar Wars: Young Jedi Adventures were all released May 4, 2023, on Disney+.[33][34][35] The second installment ofStar Wars: Tales, titledTales of the Empire, premiered on May 4, 2024.[36] Its follow-up,Tales from the Underworld, aired exactly a year later.
Some recognize the day after, May 5, as "Revenge of the Fifth", a play onStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and celebrate theSith Lords and other villainouscharacters from theStar Wars series rather than theJedi.[37] Others celebrate this one day later, on May 6, citing "Revenge of the Sixth" as a better pun on "Sith". The 6th of May is commonly known as "Return of the 6th" as a play onReturn of the Jedi and thetrilogy aspect of theStar Wars films.[38][39][40]
In honor of the 30th anniversary release date ofStar Wars on May 25, 1977, theLos Angeles City Council declared May 25, 2007, asStar Wars Day.[41] A separate initiative for observingGeek Pride Day on May 25 is based on theStar Wars connection along with ties toThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Towel Day) andDiscworld.[5][42]Solo: A Star Wars Story was also released on May 25, 2018, 41 years after the originalStar Wars.[43]
George Lucas wants them to fade into oblivion. But some fans spent more than a decade digitally restoring the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, preserving the movies as they were shown in theaters.
Count Duckula is in the tradition of the brilliant one-liners. InThe Vampire Strikes Back in which he himself and Nanny lost in space and he asks someone for the date. On being told: 'May the fourth' he replies: 'May the fourth be with you.' The programme will go out on Tuesdays at 4.45 pm starting from September 6.
Media related toStar Wars Day at Wikimedia Commons