It didn't begin a long time ago or in a galaxy far far away, but every May 4 it feels like images, memes and promotional deals involving āStar Warsā have an inescapable gravity.
May 4 ā or May the 4th, as fans say ā has evolved over the years into Star Wars Day, an informal holiday celebrating the space epic and its surrounding franchise.
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What is Star Wars Day?
Star Wars Day was created by fans as a sly nod to one of the films' most popular catchphrases, āMay the force be with you.ā Get it? Good, now May the 4th be with you too.
It's not an official holiday but has become so well-known that even former President Joe Biden marked it last year when āStar Warsā actor Mark Hamill dropped by the White House a day beforehand. This year, the Trump administration marked the occasion with a Star Wars-themed meme.
āI think it's a very clever way for fans to celebrate their passion and love for āStar Warsā once a year,ā said Steve Sansweet, founder and executive chairman of Rancho Obi-Wan, a nonprofit museum in California that has the world's largest collection of āStar Warsā memorabilia.
How did it begin?
The phrase āMay the 4th be with youā was used by fans in the years after the first film was released in 1977, and even appeared in a British political ad in 1979 celebrating Margaret Thatcher's victory as prime minister on May 4 that year.
For some fans, the official Star Wars Day comes on May 25, the date of the first film's release. The Los Angeles City Council even declared the date to be Star Wars Day in 2007, although the California Legislature voted in 2019 to designate May 4 as Star Wars Day.
How has it spread?
May the 4th caught on informally among fans through inside jokes shared on social media and viewings of the films to mark the occasion. Businesses eventually joined in on the fun, with brands ranging from Nissan to Jameson Whiskey running ads or posting on social media about it.
Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, embraced the day as a way to further promote the franchise with merchandise, special screenings and other events surrounding the brand.
Not all āStar Warsā fans are enthused about how ubiquitous the once-underground joke has become. Chris Taylor, a senior editor at Mashable and author of āHow Star Wars Conquered the Universe,ā labels himself a āMay the 4th grinch" in part because of its commercialization.
āI love a good dad joke as much as anyone, but my God you can take it too far,ā Taylor said.
In western Germany, a Protestant congregation held a Star Wars-themed service Sunday, German news agency dpa reported. Pastor Samuel Dƶrr and some of his congregants wore costumes and decorated their church in Bensberg.
How is it being celebrated this year?
The day is being celebrated on a large and small scale this year. Disney+ is launching the new series āStar Wars: Tales of the Underworldā on the date, and it comes as the second season gets underway for another franchise series, āAndor.ā
It also follows the announcement that a new stand-alone āStar Warsā film installment starring Ryan Gosling will be released in 2027.
Disney marks the day with the launch of new āStar Warsā merchandise, ranging from lightsaber sets to jewelry.
Most Major League Baseball teams have marked the day in recent years with special events incorporating āStar Warsā characters. For example, the San Francisco Giants sold special tickets for Saturday's game that included a bobblehead portraying pitcher Logan Webb as āObi-Webb Kenobi.ā
It's hard to find a place where May the 4th celebrations aren't occurring, from bakeries serving cookies with a āStar Warsā theme to concerts featuring the memorable scores of the films.
It's a town-wide celebration in New Hope, Pennsylvania, which shares its name with the subtitle of the first āStar Warsā film. The town of about 2,600 people, located 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia, plans to have costumed characters throughout town with restaurants serving themed items like a āYodaRita.ā
āI would always joke around and wish people āMay the 4thā ā but taking it to this level, I've definitely upped my āStar Warsā nerdiness,ā said Michael Sklar, president of the Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce.
The White House posted an AI-generated image of a muscular Donald Trump in a jedi robe and wielding a red lightsaber. The image on X was accompanied by a Star Wars-themed broadside.
āHappy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. Youāre not the Rebellionāyouāre the Empire,ā the White House posting said.