What is the meaning behind the whole “May the 4th be with you” saying? Obviously, it’s related to Star Wars, but how did this start?

May 4th is an unofficial holiday that was created by fans to celebrate the films, books and culture. Why was the 4th of May chosen for this day? For obvious reasons of course! The phrase “May the force be with you” is used through out the Star Wars universe by Jedi to other Jedi. So May 4th was quickly recognized as sounding similar to this phrase.

“May the 4th be with you“

The first time “May the 4th be with you” was used was on May 4th, 1979. Margaret Thatcher was elected as Britains first female prime minister, and her party placed an ad in the London Evening News saying “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.” After doing some research online, it seems to some that this was a reference to Star Wars, however there are some people who claim that this had nothing to do with the film(Episode 4 was the only film out at the time for those who don’t know. Star Wars Episode 4 was released May 25th, 1977).

Although StarWars.com says that it truly was a reference to the film, some are still not convinced. I personally believe it was a reference.

Regardless of whether or not that was the first real time this phrase was used in reference to Star Wars, officially in 2011, the first organized celebration of Star Wars Day was held in Toronto, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema. They had games, costume contests, and all sorts of fun.

Since then, Disney has taken over the Lucasfilms and has officially set a “Star Wars Day” of May 25th, the birthday of the original film. However, they do still celebrate May the Fourth by giving away free limited edition pins to the first 100 customers who come to the official stores.

Anyone can celebrate May the Fourth though, it doesn’t mean you have to run out to a large convention or plan your trip to Disney world for the week of the fourth, it just means you can (if you have the skill) create fun effects for your children:

or dress up as your favorite characters, have a movie marathon, or just play with some action figures.

May the 4th is a day for the Star Wars fans to enjoy what they love the most.

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