If there ever was a holiday you could define as “alternative”, this is most certainly it. Devout Star Wars fans decided that May the fourth was an apt enough date for a Star Wars themed holiday – and it caught on faster than anyone could have ever imagined. Rumour has it that the phrase “May the 4th be with you” (intended, of course, as a clever play on the famous line “may the force be with you”) was used for the first time in a congratulatory advertisement in The London Evening News when Margaret Thatcher took office on May 4th 1979. The advertisement was placed in the newspaper by her fellow Conservatives. It is unclear whether the phrase was adopted by Star Wars fans or simply thought up in a separate instance, but the most passionate fans in the galaxy have made it their mission to bring May 4th to as many people as possible.
Various forums on the internet helped to fan the flames of this witty new holiday, and before long Lucasfilm (and probably George Lucas himself) felt the disturbance in the force. The folks at Lucasfilm – like true hero’s, it has to be said – embraced this renegade holiday with open arms. Every May 4th for several years they have reached out to the fans via social media and spread their Star Wars day wishes, more recently accompanied with their new hashtag – #MayThe4thBeWithYou. Their devotion to the holiday does not end there though. www.starwars.com offers exciting deals on Star Wars day, including discounts on merchandise such as toys and t-shirts.
Popular activities on Star Wars day include movie marathons (of both the original trilogy and otherwise), fancy dress parties, online discussions, celebratory recreations of the more iconic scenes in the movies… the list goes on and on. Hilariously enough, the Los Angeles City Council proclaimed that May 25th 2007 was the one, official Star Wars day as it was the 30 year anniversary of the original film Star Wars, but everybody seems to have conveniently forgotten that in favour of the pun-derful May the 4th.
This is how they celebrate Star Wars day in Toronto!
Not content with May the 4th alone, however, Star Wars fanatics took it a step further and now many of the more devoted members of the Star Wars fanbase celebrate May the 5th too – or as they call it “The Revenge of The Fifth”. During this supplementary holiday the dreaded Sith Lords are the stars of the show. It would be a safe bet that on May the 5th you’d be more likely to encounter Darth Vader in your local supermarket than any other day of the year.
So ready your lightsabers, charge your blasters, grab hold of the nearest Wookiee (if you’re brave enough) and prepare to make the jump to hyperspace. We here at Altlinc wish you a happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you.