Wikimedia Commons
Happy Star Wars Day! On Friday, fans of the intergalactic film franchise celebrated a galaxy far, far away by sharing “Star Wars” photos, cast quotes and plenty of “May the 4th be with you” greetings.
The unofficial holiday is observed annually on May 4 and many mark the occasion by putting a punny twist on the franchise’s iconic catchphrase “may the Force be with you.” Fans celebrate Star Wars Day with the “May the fourth be with you” tagline. According to the Star Wars website, “One of the earliest known records of ‘May the 4th’ used in popular culture is in 1979” when Margaret Thatcher’s election victory was celebrated with the message “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.”
The first organized celebration, however, did not occur until years later at the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2011. Disney and Lucasfilm got in on the Star Wars Day commemoration in 2013, encouraging fans worldwide to dress up as their favorite character, watch the films and celebrate the out-of-this-world holiday.
Thousands of people celebrated the unofficial holiday on social media Friday, topping Twitter trends with the hashtags #MayThe4thBeWithYou and #StarWarsDay. See how celebrities and fans celebrated Star Wars Day below:
Social Media Celebrates Star Wars Day with “May the Fourth Be With You” Wishes
Today is my religious holiday… please respect it like I respect yours… #MayThe4thBeWithYou #MayTheFourth #StarWars #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/JRAHQqai3h
— Lotus (@Lotus) May 4, 2018
#MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/N4LHowRkaJ
— E! News (@enews) May 4, 2018
In the words of General Organa, a true leader of the resistance, “Hope is like the sun. If you only believe it when you see it, you’ll never make it through the night.” #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/HDpbAFx7Qj
— Tina Smith (@TinaSmithMN) May 4, 2018
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” ~ Yoda#MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/gCjiiZVnMA
— Action for Happiness (@actionhappiness) May 4, 2018
Happy #MayTheFourth ! I’m still not over this. @HamillHimself#MayTheFourthBeWithYou #StarWarsDay #MayTheForceBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/w9WUC7HME1
— Mayim Bialik (@missmayim) May 4, 2018
Whether you’re studying to become a Jedi, teaching yourself Galactic Basic, or learning how to fly a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter, your #librarian can help you find the resources you need. #MayThe4thBeWithYou #MayTheFourth #StarWarsDay #LibrariesTransform pic.twitter.com/bETSmJYmTQ
— American Library Association (@ALALibrary) May 4, 2018
Everybody give it up for #StarWarsDay! We’re throwing it back to our special #Ham4Ham with JJ Abrams and @Lin_Manuel. #MayThe4thBeWithYou https://t.co/hzXbxYFVGz
— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) May 4, 2018
Good morning from Heathrow. The force is strong with us today and we’ve got some special new routes. Will you be travelling to galaxies near… or far, far away? #Maythe4th #MayTheFourth #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/B9IcnMOMxC
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) May 4, 2018
Happy Star Wars Day. May the fourth be with you. pic.twitter.com/kcvO7a2XnC
— The Disney Blog (@TheDisneyBlog) May 4, 2018
I saw STAR WARS on July 1st, 1977, the day it opened in Raleigh, NC. It was two days before my 13th birthday. I still have the handbill hanging in my office. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/v6jCsJ4l7n
— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) May 4, 2018
Marvel got into the Star Wars game early; in fact, the comic’s 1st issue predated the movie’s debut by a month! Later that year, in Nov ’77, The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of Star Wars was released. Guess who provided the special introduction? Stan Lee. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/AMn6piW7re
— stan lee (@TheRealStanLee) May 4, 2018
May The Fourth Be With [YOUR NAME HERE]
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) May 4, 2018
How are you celebrating Star Wars Day? Which celebratory, “May the Fourth Be With You” tweet was your favorite? Sound off in the comments section below!
Photo credit: Ігор Пєтков, Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0 Universal)
