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Things to know about Star Wars Day
Have you ever questioned why some people say, "May the fourth be with you” or seen a hashtag of the phrase on social media?
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Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and Stormtroopers are ready for battle in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.
(starwars.com/File)
H
ave you ever questioned why some people say, "May the fourth be with you” or seen a hashtag of the phrase on social media? The line refers to Star Wars Day on May 4, and the following is everything you need to know about the day.
History
According to the film’s official website, the phrase "May the fourth" dates back to 1979 when the Conservative Party’s Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom.
London author Alan Arnold, the unit publicist for the The Empire Strikes Back book from Lucasfilm, the company that created Star Wars, said Thatcher's party at that time “took a half page of advertising space in the London Evening News.”
The space contained a message that read, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.” For Arnold, the message was “further proof of the extent to which Star Wars has influenced us all.”
Thanks to the internet, the words circulated among Star Wars fans, who later declared May 4 Star Wars Day. Lucasfilm also helped to spread the word, including about events held by the fans to commemorate the day.
Mark Hamill
The actor who plays Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, joined the hype train. On his official Twitter and Instagram accounts, Hamill uploaded a series of posts on each day from May 1 to 3. They read: “May the first be with you”, “May the second be better” and “May the third be absurd”. The fans, of course, replied with "May the fourth be with you".
Read also: How Star Wars: The Last Jedi helps explain conservatism
The celebrations
Fans worldwide celebrate the day in their own way with photos or memes on their social media accounts.
Disneyland Resort, for instance, held the sold-out Star Wars Nite on May 3 in the evening as part of its new Disneyland After Dark series.
#StarWarsNite has officially begun at @Disneyland! pic.twitter.com/NtkRbg7KAr
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 4, 2018
Fans were encouraged to wear their favorite Star Wars costumes and they could experience many activities, including exclusive after-hours access to Disneyland, character encounters and a chance to purchase limited-edition “May the 4th” merchandise. As a result of the high demand on Star Wars Nite, Disneyland will hold a second Star Wars celebration on May 9.
Meanwhile, according to Variety.com, Snapchat is letting its users transform into Chewbacca through a new selfie lens feature. Furthermore, Star Wars Day filters and stickers are also available for them to accessorize their posts. (wir/mut)
