Countdown to
Star Wars Day
May the Fourth be with you
Today is Star Wars Day.
183 days until Star Wars Day, on Tuesday, May 4, 2027.
Star Wars Day is Tuesday, May 4, 2027. Happens every May 4.
Star Wars Day falls on May 4 each year, a date chosen for one of the most durable puns in pop culture: “May the Fourth be with you.” It is not an official holiday and marks no film anniversary, yet it has grown from a fan in-joke into a globally recognized celebration of George Lucas’s galaxy far, far away.
The origins of “May the Fourth”
The wordplay is older than most people assume. One of its earliest documented appearances came on May 4, 1979, when Margaret Thatcher became the United Kingdom’s first female prime minister. To mark the day, her Conservative Party ran a message in a London newspaper reading, “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” The phrase circulated among fans for decades afterward, but the first organized Star Wars Day event was not held until May 4, 2011, at the Toronto Underground Cinema, with trivia, costumes, and screenings.
May 4 has no connection to the release of the films themselves. The original Star Wars premiered on May 25, 1977. The date endures because the pun works, and because it gave fans a fixed point on the calendar to rally around.
How Star Wars Day is observed
Today the day is marked worldwide. Fans rewatch the films in marathon sessions, trade quotes from the saga, dress as their favorite characters, and stage lightsaber duels. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, the company has leaned into the occasion with product launches, streaming premieres, and celebrations at its theme parks, turning a grassroots tradition into a fixture of the commercial calendar.
The joke does not stop on May 4. Fans have claimed the following day, May 5, as “Revenge of the Fifth,” a play on Revenge of the Sith, giving the darker side of the Force its own unofficial moment.
Whether you observe one day or both, the appeal is the same: a low-stakes, good-humored excuse to revisit a story that has shaped popular culture for nearly half a century. The countdown above tracks the days remaining until the next May 4.
🌌 Fun facts about Star Wars Day
- One of the earliest documented uses of the pun appeared on May 4, 1979, when Margaret Thatcher became UK prime minister and her Conservative Party ran a newspaper message reading 'May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.'
- May 4 is not the anniversary of any Star Wars film; the original movie opened on May 25, 1977, and the date was chosen purely because the pun works.
- The first organized Star Wars Day event was not held until May 4, 2011, at the Toronto Underground Cinema, decades after fans coined the phrase.
- Fans extended the joke to the following day, calling May 5 'Revenge of the Fifth,' a play on the film Revenge of the Sith.
- Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, turned the grassroots holiday into a global marketing event with product launches, streaming premieres, and theme-park celebrations.
Upcoming Star Wars Day dates
| Date | Days away |
|---|---|
| 183 days | |
| 549 days | |
| 914 days | |
| 1,279 days | |
| 1,644 days |
How people mark Star Wars Day
- Rewatching the films in a marathon
- Cosplay and dressing as characters
- Quoting 'May the Force be with you'
- Staging lightsaber duels
- Themed sales and product launches
- Disney Parks celebrations
Frequently asked
What day is Star Wars Day?
Star Wars Day is celebrated every year on May 4. The date comes from the pun 'May the Fourth be with you,' a play on the saga's signature line, 'May the Force be with you.'
Why is May 4 Star Wars Day and not the film's anniversary?
The date is wordplay, not a milestone. The original Star Wars film opened on May 25, 1977; May 4 was chosen entirely because 'the Fourth' sounds like 'the Force.'
Is Star Wars Day an official holiday?
No. It began as a fan-driven celebration and remains unofficial, though Disney and Lucasfilm now embrace it with events, sales, and new releases each year.
What is 'Revenge of the Fifth'?
It is an unofficial follow-up to Star Wars Day on May 5, punning on the film Revenge of the Sith. Fans use it to celebrate the villains and the dark side of the Force.