May the 4th Be With You Meaning: Explore the Star Wars Day

Star Wars fans need no introduction to this pun as they celebrated Star Wars Day yesterday. The pun “May The Fourth Be with You” signifies the unofficial Star Wars Day that is celebrated on May 4 every year. The significance of this phrase can be traced back to the late 70s. Read on to know more.

We love #StarWars so much that Station Commander Gp Capt Harry Staishe has unveiled a statue of the Millennium Falcon to celebrate this years #StarWarsDay

Photographed from a Canberra #MayThe4thBeWithYou #tuesdayvibe #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/5fZki8iHI9

— RAF_Luton (@RAF_Luton) May 4, 2022

What does May The Fourth Be With You Mean?

Now, this is nostalgic to me because I grew up watching Star Wars! If you’re a Star Wars fan, you may know the use of the original phrase “May the Force be with You” which is used by the Jedi masters in the Star Wars universe.

It's #StarWarsDay! From all of us here at Star Wars UK, #MayThe4thBeWithYou. pic.twitter.com/R4FzfTGZwL

— Star Wars UK (@StarWarsUK) May 4, 2022

On behalf of the Empire, #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/qMzsGpZv6V

— Darth Vader (@_LordOfTheSith) May 4, 2022

The American epic-saga opera began with the eponymous 1977 movie, and since then, expanded itself into comic books, novels, video games, series and much more. “May The Fourth Be With You” is a pun that “Star Wars” fans spam each other with on May 4, 2022, which is the unofficial Star Wars Day to celebrate one of the cinema’s most successful franchises.

Coincidentally, the day became an unofficial holiday when Margaret Thatcher won the elections to become Britain’s first female prime minister. To celebrate the occasion, Thatcher’s party put on a half-page advert in the May 4, 1979 issue of the London Evening News that read, “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations!”

What is the Star Wars Day?

Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise created by founder and former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. The observation and grassroots celebration of the event can be traced back to the 70s.

However, the date originated from the pun “May the Fourth be with you”, which can be referred to as the variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase “May the Force be With You”. Jedi masters consider this saying as a good omen.

Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans have chosen to celebrate the holiday. Many fans choose to dress like their favourite Star Wars characters and share the funny moments online.

On this day, Disney usually makes various announcements related to the Star Wars franchise. It can be in the form of trailers, release dates, video games or surprise instalments, all things Star Wars!

The Sky Wars franchise has not only expanded itself into comics, video games and novels but continues to release new merchandise every year. Yesterday, the first of three Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite events took place at Disneyland Park. A whole bunch of new May the Fourth Star Wars merchandise was released at the event.

“Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett” were the last series related to the Star Wars universe that created a buzz on Disney. However, this year, the Obi-Wan Kenobi show is expected to dominate the day as a final trailer will drop soon.

Now do not ask me who Obi-Wan Kenobi was! Ten years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), Obi-Wan Kenobi will be seen watching over Luke Skywalker on Tatooine when he finds himself embarking on a “rollicking adventure”. In addition to this, the film Rogue Squadron is planned for release on December 22, 2023.

About Star Wars

Now if you ask me about the plot, it would be difficult to explain it because the movies and series run into parallel stories and it is not something one can binge-watch. If you aren’t well-versed with Star Wars, this article will inspire you to take up this project and finish everything that you could.

The Star Wars movies are based on the adventures of characters “A long time ago in. galaxy far, far away”, wherein humans and many species of aliens (often humanoid) co-exist with robots (referred to as “droids” in the films) who assist them with their daily chores, that includes heavy attacks from enemies.

Happy #StarWarsDay 🇦🇺
I’ll be posting my #StarWarsFanArt all day so make sure to follow. #MayThe4thBeWithYou #ObiWanKenobi pic.twitter.com/WjMcZb3v1R

— Daz Tibbles (@daztibbles) May 3, 2022

The sci-fi saga features several spacecraft ranging from small starfighters to huge capital ships like Star Destroyers to space stations like moon-sized Death Stars. A mystical power called the Force is described as “an energy field created by all living things … [that] binds the galaxy together”.

Through training and meditation, those with a strong force can perform various superpowers (such as telekinesis, precognition, telepathy, and manipulation of physical energy). For example, Grogu from the recent Mandalorian series is still exploring his powers.

The Force is wielded by two major knightly orders at conflict with each other: the Jedi, peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic who act on the light side of the Force through non-attachment and arbitration, and the Sith, who use the dark side by manipulating fear and aggression.

Don’t forget to set your phones to #StarWarsDay mode. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/fb81vLDLWV

— Daz Tibbles (@daztibbles) May 4, 2022

If you look at the formation of these films, I suggest do not watch them in sequence. Let me explain why. The original film “Star Wars” retroactively subtitles Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), followed by the sequels Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), forming the original Star Wars trilogy.

Lucas later returned to the series to direct a prequel trilogy, consisting of Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Sith happens.😂
Happy Star Wars Day Everyone.#MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWars #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/4dpgUiVgKY

— Bread Pitt (@BeerView_Mirror) May 3, 2022

In 2012, Lucas sold his production company to Disney, relinquishing his ownership of the franchise. This led to a sequel trilogy, consisting of Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). So if you’re trying to live your uncherished dream of understanding Star Wars, follow this sequence.

Interestingly, all nine films of the “Skywalker Saga” got nominated for Academy Awards. However, the first two releases won the Oscars. Star Wars Day is a great way to bind together the billions of fans together who continue to cherish the legacy of this legendary space opera. Did you celebrate it too?