Star Wars Day, why is May 4th? Curiosities between Margaret Thatcher and Los Angeles!

The saga of Star Wars it is celebrated every year on May 4th, which is what is known as lo Star Wars Day: but why has this day officially become the most important and awaited celebration of the galaxy far, far away?

Aside from the funny (and brilliant) pun (May the 4th in English corresponds to May the Force, the famous phrase ‘May the Force be with you’), because this day has become so universally recognized and celebrated with organized events, sales of new Star Wars products and new content coming out for the franchise? In recent years, May 4th has gone from being a day dedicated to the most passionate fans to a real party legitimized and sponsored by Disney itself: and it also concerns Margaret Thatcher!

It all goes back to May 4, 1979, two years after the release of the original film directed by George Lucas starring Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, when the pun on ‘Fourth of May’ was used for the first time. It was the day Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and very special congratulations came from the pages of the London Evening News: “May the fourth be with you, Maggie!“. The phrase struck fans of Star Wars, which was already a hugely popular film at the time, but for many years the pun remained mostly harmless.

In 2011, one of the first major events organized at the Toronto Underground Cinema in Canada was held, with film screenings, costume contests and more. Basically, the origins of May 4th lie in fan appreciation for the franchise. However, the party as we know it today can be traced back Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, given that from 2013 onwards the company started hosting parties and events in its theme parks and since then other companies have started to follow suit, offering special discounts and sales on Star Wars products so important that today, often , fans now look forward to May 4th to make their purchases (and, conversely, Disney looks forward to this day for new announcements and promotions).

In more recent times Disney even used the holidays as a release date for new content, like the seventh season Clone Wars on Disney + in 2020, and today the debut, also on Disney +, of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Moreover, and few know it, there is actually another official Star Wars Day: it is celebrated on May 25, mainly in Los Angeles, the city of cinema par excellence that it established in 2007 its Star Wars Day in honor of the 30th anniversary of the release of the first film in the saga, dated May 25, 1977.

Stay with us for all the insights into the saga, and above all: may the Force be with you!

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