Every year, on May 4th, you’ll hear a special greeting: “May the 4th be with you!” This date is known as Star Wars Day, a time when fans all over the world celebrate the amazing stories from a galaxy far, far away. It started as a simple wordplay joke, but it has since grown into a major global event for everyone who loves Star Wars. So, how did this day get started, and how do people celebrate it now?
A Pun from politics
Surprisingly, Star Wars Day didn’t start with the movie makers at Lucasfilm. Its story begins back on 4 May, 1979. That was the day Margaret Thatcher became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. To congratulate her, her political party put an ad in a London newspaper that said, “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations!” This was a clever twist on the famous Star Wars line, “May the Force be with you,” and the first known time the phrase was used this way.
For a long time, the phrase was mostly just a joke shared among fans. It popped up here and there, like in a cartoon called Count Duckula in 1988 and even during a debate in the UK Parliament in 1994. But it wasn’t an official holiday declared by the people who made Star Wars. It grew naturally from the fans themselves.
Fans connect online
The real boost for Star Wars Day came when more people started using the internet and social media. Websites and online groups gave fans a place to connect from anywhere in the world and share their love for Star Wars. The hashtag #MayThe4thBeWithYou became very popular, helping make May 4th the go-to date for celebrating the saga.
While fans had been celebrating in small ways for years, the first big, organised Star Wars Day event happened in Toronto, Canada, in 2011. Held at the Toronto Underground Cinema, this event featured movie showings, contests for the best costumes, and showings of fan-made films and tributes. It showed that fans were ready for bigger, shared celebrations, all started by their own excitement.
Disney joins the celebration
Things changed in a big way when The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm in late 2012. Disney saw how much fans already loved celebrating May 4th and decided to join in officially, starting around 2013. This meant the day went from being just a fan thing to being recognised and promoted by the creators of Star Wars.
Disney started holding official Star Wars Day parties and events at its theme parks, like Disneyland and Walt Disney World. These often include special character appearances, themed food, and unique fireworks shows. May 4th also became a big day for new Star Wars stuff. Disney began releasing special limited-edition merchandise like clothing, collectible pins, special MagicBands for the parks, and toys just for the day.
The streaming service Disney+ became a place for exciting new Star Wars content releases on May 4th. They’ve premiered final episodes of shows like The Clone Wars, launched brand new series like Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Tales of the Empire, and dropped trailers for much-awaited series like Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The day even got a nod from the government when California lawmakers voted in 2019 to officially declare May 4th as Star Wars Day in the state, partly because of the opening of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land at Disneyland.
How the galaxy celebrates today
Now, May the 4th is celebrated in countless ways by fans all around the world. Many fans love having movie marathons, settling in to watch their favourite films or binge-watch popular series like The Mandalorian or Andor with friends and family. Another huge, arguably defining, part of the fun is dressing up in costumes, known as cosplay. Fans put great effort into creating outfits of Jedi, Sith, droids, or bounty hunters, sharing their creations online or wearing them to events (So, don’t act surprised if you see Yoda walking down your neighbourhood road.)
Social media platforms come alive with activity as fans share favourite movie quotes, incredible fan art, funny memes, and simply wish each other “May the 4th be with you,” making hashtags like #MayThe4thBeWithYou trend globally. It’s also a big day for shopping, as stores and websites offer special deals and release exclusive Star Wars items. Fans, especially collectors, eagerly look for things like new LEGO sets recreating famous scenes, unique Funko Pop figures, or special edition clothing that might only be available for a short time.
Many different kinds of events take place, starting from large public gatherings to smaller meetups at local libraries, comic book shops, or game stores, often featuring trivia contests, themed food and drinks, or even lightsaber practice sessions. Disney parks, owned by none other than The Walt Disney Company, continue to be major celebration spots, with unique experiences like special character meet-and-greets or new interactive activities.
Every year fans also look forward to potential surprises from Lucasfilm, like announcements about future projects or the release of new trailers or behind-the-scenes content. Even video games often join in, with titles like Fortnite sometimes offering special Star Wars-themed character skins or in-game events for players to enjoy.
And the fun doesn’t always stop on the 4th. Some fans extend the celebration to May 5th, calling it “Revenge of the Fifth” (or sometimes the 6th, as “Revenge of the Sixth” sounds more like “Sith”), as a reference to the movie Revenge of the Sith and a day to appreciate the villains of the saga.
A force created by fans
May the 4th has truly travelled far from its simple beginning as a political newspaper pun. It shows how powerful fan communities can be and how a shared love for stories can bring people together. It’s a day for people of all ages to connect, celebrate the creativity of the Star Wars universe, and share their enthusiasm. So, when May 4th arrives, join the celebration, enjoy the galaxy far, far away, and remember to tell everyone: May the 4th be with you!