May the 4th be with you every year
May 14, 2015
With a day dedicated to it, there is no doubt that Star Wars is considered to be one of the most epic and influential science fiction movie series of all time. Also known as Star Wars Day, “May the fourth be with you,” the pun of the famous Yoda saying, celebrated its 36th anniversary last Wednesday.
With the first Star Wars film in 1977, the film franchise quickly became a pop culture phenomenon with box office successes and Academy Award nominations. In addition to the success of the two sequels and the prequel trilogy, Star Wars eventually became huge cult hits and “May the fourth be with you” was born.
According to Starswars.com, the phrase “May the fourth be with you” was first coined when Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman prime minister. To celebrate the victory, her party advertised in the London Evening News stating, “May the fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.”
Even though the pun originated from England, fan didn’t start celebrating the holiday until afterwards.
According to cnn.com, fans started to officially celebrate the holiday in Toronto, Canada. Eventually, May the fourth spread and now, it is celebrated worldwide.
In addition to an international influence, Star Wars acquired cult followers who sometimes go to great lengths to celebrate the entirety of May dedicated to the film franchise.
The month of May is an important time for Star Wars fans. With the debut of the original series May 25, 1977 and George Lucas’ birthday May 14, 1944, fans, both old and small, have made up ways to celebrate the films and its creator.
According to nydailynews.com, small children take part in the event by getting costumes from their nearest Toys R Us store. For the “full-fledged Jedi” or the “Hutts who prefer the couch,” fans go on Pinterest for Star Wars-inspired food ideas or digitally download the entire saga to binge watch with friends.
In addition to a new sequel trilogy and a standalone series coming Dec. 2015, May the fourth has become a true and “official” holiday among Star Wars fans.