Made-up holidays can be the worst: It’s easy for these fabricated events dedicated to movies, junk food, and record stores to be seen as thirsty attempts by corporations to Astroturf a little fan culture. It starts with a hashtag and unfurls from there. Meanwhile, higher-ups at the Cheesecake Factory, and the people behind “Alien Day” and “Back to the Future Day are thinking about producing the next one.
How ‘Star Wars Day’ is Different
But May 4 is different. The holiday reportedly goes back all the way to the election of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979. A half-page advertisement in the London Evening Standard welcomed Thatcher to the office. It read: “May The Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” In 2011, the modern iteration of the holiday seemed to sprout organically — at theaters that took the opportunity to show the movies again for an audience dressed in costume. Today, there are light saber battles in Times Square in New York to mark the occasion. People wear Star Wars ties to work. It even has its own spin-off day: “Revenge of the Fifth,” on May 5.
Thirty-seven years later, the day has become a cultural phenomenon. Here are 37 GIFs of the Force to celebrate.
1. Whenever you deal with the Force, always look to Yoda first.
2. Who needs a lightsaber when you have the Force.
3. The infamous Force choke, popularized by Darth Vader.
4. Vader’s just showing off on the Force choke in this one.
5. The Force disappearing act.
6. Cue the lever with the Force.
7. Using the Force to fight your father.
8. Or use the Force to fight your son.
9. Yoda with the Force throw.
10. Also, Yoda with the Force catch.
11. Count Dooku got away this time, but the Force saved lives.
12. Count Dooku’s Force crush is slammin’.
13. Yoda sucking in that Force lightning Dragon Ball Z style.
14. Force lightning, not unlike the Tesla coil.
15. Yoda and Count Dooku playing Force lightning catch.
16. When Count Dooku uses the Force to bring down the roof, Yoda uses the Force to keep it from getting too out of hand.
17. Yoda’s “or nah” Force usage when Count Dooku wants to make some moves.
18. You don’t see anything happening here, but there’s a lot of Force action going on between Obi Wan and Anakin.
19. “These are not the droids you are looking for.”
20. Force lightning feelings.
21. Count Dooku with the Force slam and Force lightning one-two hit.
22. Force lightning like it’s 1999.
23. Force kick-shove is way more powerful than just a plain ole kick-shove.
24. Anakin using the Force against General Grievous to pick his lightsaber pocket.
25. Obi Wan with the Force blast.
26. Nothing is out of reach with the Force, not even that blaster.
27. Small yet mighty.
28. Anakin with the Force choke before it was cool.
29. Force on Force fighting can get frustrating.
30. Yoda proving being below the surface doesn’t matter.
31. Darth Maul slow motion, or slow Forcetion?
32. Darth Sidious back at it with the Force lightning.
33. Getting Force-ful
34. Easy Force push.
35. Force tension.
36. Oh Luke, always knowing when to use the Force.
37. The Force always ends in a hole in one.
