Star Wars Day 2022: Why is May 4 known as Star Wars Day, what does 'May The 4th Be With You' mean and – and Edinburgh’s links with the galaxy far, far away

May the 4th be with you, folks. Star Wars Day has become even more popular in recent years thanks to the growth of social media and Disney’s ownership of the franchise – but while Star Wars Day is celebrated across the world, there are a number of links to Edinburgh.

What started out as a pun amongst fellow fans “May the 4th be with you.” has launched one of the most popular days on the calendar for many.

The date was chosen for the easy pun on the catchphrase “May the Force be with you” and has become a global event.

Edinburgh’s Star Wars links

The Capital’s biggest Star Wars link is that Angus MacInnes, the actor who played Gold Leader in the first Star Wars movie, lives in Edinburgh.

Angus, originally from Canada, played Jon ‘Dutch’ Vander, the leader of Gold Squadron, part of the rebel attack which successfully destroyed the Death Star in Episode IV: A New Hope.

Angus also founded Mamma’s restaurant in the Grassmarket with wife Kate in 1985.

Mamma’s celebrated 30 years with a Star Wars themed birthday party. Pizzas included: Ham Solo, Cheese-3-PO, BBQ-D-2, Boba Feta and Darth Veggie.

Star Wars Day has become even more popular in recent years thanks to the growth of social media and Disneys ownership of the franchise. Image: 20th Century Fox

The set of the Stars Wars: The Force Awakens underwent an emergency evacuation after the cast were smoked out by celebrity chef Tom Kitchin.

Tom, who has restaurants in Edinburgh, was cooking for Steve Jones and Lisa Snowdon ahead of the live Weekend Kitchen programme when he filled a neighbouring studio with smoke.

Bathgate-born actor David Tennant, provided the voice for a robot in two episodes of animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, below?

Edinburgh illustrator Tanya Roberts provided art work for Star Wars: The Clone Wars comics.

Mamma’s celebrated 30 years with a Star Wars themed birthday party. Photo: Simon Williams

Andy Serkis, who plays the part of Supreme Leader Snoke in The Last Jedi, previously portrayed infamous Edinburgh murderer William Hare in the 2010 film Burke and Hare.

Ian McDiarmuid, who played the villan emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars blockbuster series, has played Enoch Powell in an Edinburgh theatre production. McDiarmuid starred in What Shadows at the Royal Lyceum in September.

What is Star Wars Day and when is it?

Every year on 4 May, Star Wars Day is commemorated.

Star Wars Day is a day where fans gather to honour the sci-fi property, and it has subsequently been adopted by Lucasfilm and its parent company Disney.

Additionally, some Star Wars fans take the joke a step farther by participating in extra celebrations on 6 May, dubbed "Revenge of the Sixth" in honour of the 2005 instalment of the Star Wars epic Revenge of the Sith.

What does 'May the 4th be with you' mean - and what's the response?

Star Wars use of the phrase, “May the fourth be with you”, which is a pun based on the iconic Star Wars catchphrase “May the force be with you”.

Characters in the Star Wars universe say this phrase to one another as a way to wish each other good luck.

You can respond by saying 'And also with you' or 'May the force be with us all', although the responses can vary across the Star Wars franchise and fan universe.

When did celebrations for Star Wars day begin?

The first organised celebration of Star Wars Day took place in 2011, at the Toronto Underground Cinema - the day included events such as a trivia game show, a costume contest and tribute films.

In 2013, the Walt Disney Company officially began observing the day with Star Wars themed events and festivities at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

A number of Star Wars Day deals and discounts are also made available on the Star Wars website.

How is Disney celebrating Star Wars Day 2022?

Unfortunately, 4 May 2022 won’t see any new Star Wars content debuting on Disney+ - though it’s just a few short weeks until Ewan MacGregor’s standalone series ‘Kenobi’ premieres on 27 May.

There will, however, be a brand new behind-the-scenes documentary to enjoy; Disney Gallery: The Book of Boba Fett will be released, giving fans a behind-the-scenes peek at the series' creation.

The cast and creative team of The Book of Boba Fett will discuss the show in depth, and disclose how they kept crucial surprises like an appearance from Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano hidden.

Aside from that, Disney is commemorating the franchise with activities like watch parties, 4 May deals on merch, and crafts and recipes to help fans tap into their inner creative force.