May the Fourth Be With You

“May the Force be with you” became a tagline for the Star Wars franchise, and so May 4, aka May, the 4th, was deemed National Star Wars Day, created by fans to celebrate the famous movie series.

The first time that catch phrase was used in conjunction with the movies was in 1979 by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at her political speech on May 4, but it wasn’t celebrated as a fan day until 2011.

There are many brands that take part in this selling Star Wars merchandise who have taken advantage of this idea. Fans often use the date to host or attend a Star Wars movie marathon, or play a game related to the franchise. Other people may choose this day to dress up as their favorite character or simply say “May the 4th be with you” as they greet people throughout the day.

In 2011 and 2012 there was a Star Wars festival in Toronto, Canada, on May 4. There have been Star Wars-themed events on May 4 in Disneyland and Disneyworld. While more people have been celebrating this day every year, COVID-19 may restrict people to smaller groups and many events will be cancelled.

However, on the good news side, The Rise of Skywalker, which was originally scheduled to release in theaters on May 4, 2020, might be released on Disney+ that day. Check out the information at https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/rise-of-skywalker-disney-plus-release-date-star-wars-day-may-4 for details.