May the 4th Be With You: Star Wars Day Explained

If you’ve ever been wished “May the 4th be with you” and found yourself stumped for a comeback, you’re in good company — and good company is exactly what this particular date attracts. What started as a clever political pun in a 1979 newspaper ad has become a global celebration drawing official recognition from city halls and state legislatures alike.

Date: May 4th ·
Origin: Pun on “May the Force be with you” ·
Official Site: starwars.com ·
First Recorded Use: 1979 newspaper ad ·
Global Reach: Fan events worldwide

What does May the 4th be with you mean?

The phrase “May the 4th be with you” works as a pun on the iconic Star Wars catchphrase “May the Force be with you.” By swapping “Force” for “4th,” fans created a date-specific greeting that works every May 4th — and only on May 4th. It’s a linguistic loophole that rewards calendar awareness.

Origin of the pun

The earliest recorded use of “May the 4th be with you” dates to summer 1978, one year after Star Wars: A New Hope introduced the original “May the Force be with you” line in 1977 (StarWars.com Official). But the phrase that truly cemented May 4th in fan culture came via a half-page advertisement the Conservative Party purchased in the London Evening News on May 3, 1979. The headline read “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie,” congratulating Margaret Thatcher on her election as the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Wikipedia). Thatcher herself was elected on May 4, 1979, making the pun both timely and mathematically precise.

Connection to Star Wars catchphrase

The original line “May the Force be with you” first appeared in the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope and quickly became one of the most recognizable phrases in cinema history (Wikipedia). The pun transforms this blessing into a date-specific celebration, giving every calendar year its own Star Wars moment.

Why is May 4th so special?

May 4th is special because it represents one of the rare cases where fans created a holiday that corporate rights holders chose to embrace rather than invent themselves. The date predates official recognition, making it a genuinely fan-driven celebration.

Star Wars Day designation

The California State Legislature officially declared May 4th as “Star Wars Day” on May 2, 2019, in recognition of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening later that month (Wookieepedia). The Mayor of Los Angeles also declared it a citywide event in 2019 (WeRoad). However, Star Wars Day is not an official holiday in any country — mail is still delivered, and banks remain open (WeRoad). The holiday exists in the cultural rather than legal sense.

Global fan celebrations

Star Wars Day was a fan-grown holiday that spread through online forums and early platforms like Facebook and Myspace, long before corporations took notice (WeRoad). The hashtag #MayThe4thBeWithYou was instrumental in cementing May 4th as an annual celebration by 2013, when Disney fully embraced the holiday in its American theme parks (EBSCO Research).

How do you respond to ‘May the 4th be with you’?

Responding to “May the 4th be with you” is part of the fun — the exchange is meant to be playful, not solemn. The greeting invites a witty reply, and the community has developed several classics over the years.

Common comebacks

The most straightforward response is “And also the 6th,” which acknowledges the calendar joke while pointing fans toward Revenge of the Sith Day on May 5th. Another classic is the simple “You too,” which works for any holiday greeting but feels especially casual and fan-appropriate here.

Star Wars-themed replies

Fans who want to lean into the franchise often use “May the Force be with you” back, completing the circle. Others prefer “And also the 5th, for Revenge of the Sith,” extending the celebration one more day. The key is matching the spirit: light, punny, and community-spirited. Some fans greet each other with “And also the 6th” in a deliberate callback to the May 4th/May the 4th wordplay.

What do you say on May 4th?

May 4th greetings extend beyond the basic pun. The celebration has developed its own vocabulary of phrases, memes, and references that fans share across generations of the franchise.

Greetings and phrases

Beyond “May the 4th be with you,” common phrases include “Happy Star Wars Day,” “May the Force be with you” (the original), and “And also the 5th” (for Revenge of the Sith Day). Some fans greet each other with “May the 4th be with you” and reply with “And also the 6th” in a deliberate callback to the May 4th/May the 4th wordplay.

Social media shares

The hashtag #MayThe4thBeWithYou trends annually as fans share costumes, movie marathons, and celebration photos. The phrase has become a social ritual as much as a greeting, with TikTok and Instagram filled with themed content every May 4th (StarWars.com Official).

How to celebrate May 4th?

Celebrating May 4th ranges from solo movie marathons to corporate-sponsored theme park events. There’s no wrong way to participate — the holiday was designed for flexibility and fan creativity.

At work ideas

Businesses and schools now encourage Star Wars attire on May 4th, creating communal moments among fans (WeRoad). Casual options include wearing Star Wars shirts, sharing themed snacks, or simply wishing colleagues “May the 4th be with you” and seeing who gets the reference. Some offices organize trivia competitions or movie viewings during lunch breaks.

Home and community events

Common Star Wars Day celebrations include binge-watching Star Wars movies, dressing up in costumes, and costume contests (Ted Hamm Insurance). The celebration has expanded to include library programs and charity fundraisers incorporating Star Wars themes (EBSCO Research). For fans wanting to extend the celebration, May 5 has emerged as “Revenge of the Sith Day,” allowing engagement with the franchise’s darker elements.

The 2011 Toronto Underground Cinema event set the template for organized celebrations: an original trilogy trivia game show, costume contest with celebrity judges, and tribute films (Wikipedia). The second annual Toronto Star Wars Day celebration took place on May 4, 2012, proving the concept could sustain year-over-year growth.

Disney theme park events on May 4, 2013 included appearances by costumed characters from the Star Wars universe, parties with those characters, and a fireworks show featuring music and effects from the movies (EBSCO Research). Starting in 2014, Disney stores joined in Star Wars Day celebrations, offering exclusive collectibles and deals on Star Wars merchandise (Comic Book Club Live).

The story of Star Wars Day is ultimately a story about fan ownership. Before Disney, before official merchandise, before California resolutions, fans claimed May 4th as their own. The phrase spread through forums, Myspace profiles, and costume contests long before anyone thought to trademark it. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in October 2012 for $4.05 billion, it inherited a holiday it didn’t create — but wisely chose to celebrate.

What makes this holiday stickier than most fandom moments is its simplicity. No licensing agreement required. No special equipment needed. Just a calendar date and a pun. The phrase works because it rewards both casual viewers who know “May the Force be with you” and dedicated fans who can trace the pun’s lineage to a 1979 Conservative Party advertisement. It functions as both greeting and trivia question, both celebration prompt and cultural signal.