May the 4th be with you
"May
the Force be with you" is one of the most iconic phrase in the Star
Wars universe. But why is it that on May 4th, that phrase is being
changed by fans, and the whole day recognized by many around the world
as the official holiday of the Star Wars saga? It all started many years
ago, in the 1970s, when the sentence was changed into "May the Fourth
be with you", a pun which may seem silly, but quickly gained traction.
It became so popular that in 1979, Margaret Thatcher’s party placed
posters in the streets of London using this pun, to celebrate her
inauguration on this day.
Since
then, every year many celebrate the movie IP by repeating the pun and
celebrating Star Wars on that day. Star Wars Day is now a recognized
day, and Disney, the new owner of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars brand, is
hosting a few events to celebrate. The Disney World Resort will be
throwing a party, Hollywood Studios will be having an event
commemorating the movies, and actors will be answering questions in chat
and making appearances at various places around the world.
Few
brand names can claim to have their own holiday. It takes something
more than a great product to achieve this, but a brand with fans. A lot
of fans. Of course it also helps that the key phrase related to the
brand happens to fit a day of the year as well. Few would have imagined
such an outcome for the Star Wars name when the first movie came out,
but this is proof that when you have a good idea, anything is possible.
