When Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi first told a young Luke Skywalker "May the force be with you," little did anyone suspect that, more than 40 years later, that famous film line would have morphed into "May the fourth be with you," the worldwide motto of what's become known as Star Wars Day.
The first known instance of anyone making the force/fourth pun came in 1979 — on May 4, obviously — when Margaret Thatcher became the UK's first female prime mininster.
To celebrate the victory, Thatcher's party backers took out a newspaper ad with the tongue-in-cheek text, "May The Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations."
And while Star Wars fans have long since made this pun on May 4, the idea of the date actually becoming a holiday wouldn't solidify until 2011.
Star Wars fanatics Sean Ward and Alice Quinn were the first to officially observe Star Wars Day by hosting a festival centered on the intergalactic franchise at Canada's Toronto Underground Cinema in 2011 and then again in 2012.
The event consisted of trivia about the original trilogy of Star Wars films, costume contests with celebrity judges, and viewings of the best fan-made videos in a movie theater setting.
Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm — and thus, Star Wars — in late 2012, subsequently adopted the holiday. Since May 2013, Disney has observed Star Wars Day every May 4 by hosting events themed around the franchise at both Disneyland and Disney World.
May the Fourth's importance has only grown since then and is now firmly established as a time for celebration among fans, often featuring new announcements the franchise. This year it was announced that the first gameplay for the upcoming Star Wars: Fallen Order will be shown the June and, most importantly, a whole swath of deals!
STAR WARS DAY DEALS
This year there are great deals for every kind of Star Wars fan. Here are our favorite bargains on this special day.
Toys and gizmos
LEGO is offering deep discounts on many Star Wars kits and will throw in extra goodies if you hit certain price milestones. After spending $35 on Star Wars items, LEGO will include a free 10 x 13-inch art print; spend $75 and you'll get a Battle of Hoth micro kit complete with a tiny AT-AT. Make sure to pick up your goodies by May 7.
Until May 5 (also known as "May the Sith" among Star Wars fans) Build-a-Bear workshop is offering 50% off all Star Wars items purchased through their online store.
Uncanny Brands is offering 40% off the Darth Vader toaster and Luke Skywalker Lightsaber hand blender using promo code "MayThe4th"
Kotobukiya is offering a free ArtFX+ figured valued at $64.99 with the purchase of in-stock Star Wars items over $150 until May 5.
EBay is selling all Hasbro Star Wars toys at 40 percent off.
ThinkGeek is selling all Star Wars goodies at 30% off. Here you can integrate Star Wars memorabilia into your everyday life with Star Wars themed snuggies, toasters, waffle makers, and even a Lando Calrissian bottle stopper. You can also receive $10 off a realistic lightsaber with the checkout code: SABERSALE
Gaming Deals & Activities.
In addition to the many physical Star Wars offers, there are also deals in the digital realm, specifically on their wide array of games.
Most Star Wars games are discounted for the day across Steam, Humble Bundle, GOG, PlayStation, and Xbox storefronts.
Our favorites include:
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is 50% off on the App Store and Google Play Store
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II is 50% off on Xbox One
- Star Wars: Force Unleashed is 60% off across all platforms where it's available
- Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II is 65% off on Steam, GOG, and Humble, and 60% off on Origin.
- LEGO: Star Wars is 65% off on Steam, GOG, and Humble, and 60% off on Origin.
Notable Star Wars Day in-game activities
- Star Wars: The Old Republic players can get a free M4-Y8 Astromech Droid for logging and there will be a Cartel Market sale. Both events will remain active until May 6th.
- Log on to Star Wars: Battlefront II by May 6 to unlock a special New Hope skin for the newly playable Princess Leia.
- You can now unlock Padmé Amidala inStar Wars: Galaxy of Heroes in celebration of the event.
Enjoy these deals and — May the Fourth be with you.
Uncommon Knowledge
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