‘Star Wars’ Day 2018: May the Fourth be with you all

OK, “Star Wars” fans, we’re sure you know what day it is Friday. You’re no doubt pumped. We R2. May the Fourth be with you this “Star Wars” Day.

It may not be on the official calendar, but it’s a sacred day for devotees of one of the most successful movie franchises of all time.

On “Star Wars” Day a couple of years ago, The Verge did an admirable job — one that would make Yoda proud — explaining the origins of the holiday, begun as a grassroots way by fans of honoring their favorite movie series. The pun — you do get that “May the Fourth be with you” sounds a lot like “May the force be with you,” right? — took hold as the first large, organized event took place in Toronto on May 4, 2011.

Actually, as The Verge explains, those Brits with their special brand of humor may have been the first on the “May the Fourth” bandwagon years ago. All the way back in 1977, a mere two years after the original “Star Wars” was released, Great Britain’s Conservative Party took out a full-page newspaper ad congratulating Margaret Thatcher on her recent election as prime minister.

“May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations,” read the ad. Thatcher took office on May 4. “Star Wars” Day today has become partly fun-filled reverence by fans, who revel in dressing up as their favorite character, and partly a day of crass marketing. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, the day really blossomed, with fireworks, parties and movies at Disney theme parks.

It’s a day when tales of fan devotion are born that can live on forever and be retold in galaxies far, far away.

My colleague, Clay Bailey, swooped in last year like an Imperial Stormtrooper and snagged arguably the best “Star Wars” tale in this corner of the galaxy. He recounted the tale of Darthvader Williamson, a mild-mannered surgical tech at St. Francis Hospital-Bartlett whose “Star Wars”-enamored father used persuasion and anesthesia to sneak the name past his wife at a vulnerable moment.