The first Star Wars movie was released May 25, 1978. Fast forward 42 years, and this month we will be celebrating what has been deemed Luke Skywalker Day, on May 4th, which of course gives rise to the legendary statement, May the Fourth be with you. (May the Force be with you.)
The punny term originated in a half-page advertisement a British paper published in 1979, offering congratulations to newly elected Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, for becoming the first woman to win that office. The text of the ad read, “May The Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” The fourth of course being the pertinent date of the victory. Star Wars fans started saying it, and it caught on. With the advent of internet usage, the movement grew, until Luke Skywalker Day (or Star Wars Day) came to be.
The first-known, large-scale organized event celebrating the new holiday took place in 2011, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Organized by the Toronto Underground Cinema, the festivities that day included a Star Wars Trilogy Trivia Game, a costume contest with celebrity judges, and a showing of mash-ups, parodies, and remixes from the web on the big screen.
Theaters were not the only ones to jump on the bandwagon. The purchase of Lucasfilm by Disney in 2012 led to Star Wars Day being celebrated with events and festivities at both Disneyland and Disneyworld. And the event continues to grow. In a fitting tribute, in 2015, astronauts in the International Space Station got into the celebration by watching Star Wars in space. Celebrating on May the fourth has become a tradition for many Star Wars Fans.
We encourage residents of the Canyon Parks to enjoy a Star Wars movie marathon to celebrate. You may also want to note May 5th on your calendar too, because it is of course, Revenge of the Fifth day! (Don’t miss it.) Please feel free to share any epic tales you may have of your Star Wars Day celebration in the comments, and thanks for reading the Canyon Park Blog.