May 4th marks Star Wars day for all the fanatic fans of the Movie saga ‘Star Wars’. The day uses the phrase “May the fourth be with you” where Star Wars fans worldwide have turned into a rallying cry to show their love for the movie saga. It’s the worldwide day to say “May the Force be with you” to all, and to celebrate the iconic Star Wars story.
The pun “May the fourth be with you” was actually used back in 1979 by Alan Arnold while he was chronicling the making of The Empire Strikes Back for Lucasfilm. In fact, Star Wars might have former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher to thank for this tradition; this is because Alan Arnold used the pun in an add to celebrate Margaret Thatcher’s win in the election on May 4th 1979; the ad was reported to say “May The Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.”
However, it wasn’t until 2011 when the phrase really took off because the Internet and social media allowed Star Wars fans around the world to connect with one another. Therefore, May the 4th became a tradition each year, with fans online and offline proclaiming it “Star Wars Day.” The first celebration marking Star Wars Day was in 2011 at the Toronto Underground Cinema in Canada where a celebration, costume contest and film festival took place.
You may also find that some businesses have caught on to this unofficial holiday by offering special deals and discounts on Star Wars merchandise; Since 2013, Disney Parks have celebrated the holiday with several Star Wars events and festivities. This year’s star wars day will surely be one of the biggest and most celebrated due to the exciting launch of a new trilogy of movies beginning with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The star wars celebrations don’t end on May the fourth though due to a newer tradition called ‘Revenge of the fifth. This is because Star Wars Day became so popular that the following day was jokingly called “Revenge of the Fifth” which is a play to the Star Wars movie title Revenge of the Sith. Therefore on May 5th fans join the “Dark Side” by celebrating the Sith Lords and villains from the Star Wars saga.
