Ah no, well, maybe. The point of a megathread is to compile all the coverage or sales we’ve noticed in the runup and on the day itself. We do this for Prime Day, Black Friday, and their ilk.
The geeky sales for Star Wars Day are coming in. If you spot others, please let us know in the comments below.
Star Wars Day sales
- There’s 10% off with this link from Fun.com (sadly, not Fun.co.uk.)
- Also, get 10% off with the code maythe4th from All Rolled Up (dice and games) until Sunday night. Tentacle Press and sale items are excluded.
- In board games, dice and models, ZATU has 5% off with the code STAR-WARS-5.
- May temptation be with you LEGO have Star Wars Day deals.
- UK geeky retailer Zavvi has gone to the dark side!
- Gadget finder Menkind are offering up to 25% off.
- I don’t know if it’s Star Wars Day related but Forbidden Planet have the Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: 25th Anniversary Special #1 comic series on pre-order.
- Sideshow Collectibles have a May the 4th sign-up page.
- Just Geek might do a bigger May the 4th later but right now there’s 50% off the original Stormtrooper Countdown character.
- In a surprise Star Wars marketing-inspired jump, the gourmet popcorn people at Joe & Seph are giving free gifts to people who enter “LIGHT” or “DARK” at checkout.
- Fanatical are offering up to 81% off LEGO Star Wars the complete Saga.
When did Star Wars Day become a thing?
There’s some mad claims here!
- The Pun: The phrase “May the Fourth be with you” is a play on the iconic Star Wars line “May the Force be with you”.
- First Recorded Use: The earliest known usage of the pun was in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher’s political party placed a congratulatory ad in the London Evening News on May 4th, the day she became the UK’s Prime Minister. Sound like nonsense? Here’s my Newsweek source!
- Fan Adoption: During the 1990s and especially with the rise of the internet in the early 2000s, Star Wars fans embraced the pun and began celebrating “May the Fourth” as an informal holiday.
- Official Event: The first organized Star Wars Day celebration took place in 2011 at the Toronto Underground Cinema, which included movie screenings, a costume contest, and more. Here, I can cite Devonshire Boston as a source.
- Disney’s Boost: When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, they gave Star Wars Day the full “official holiday” treatment. This led to large-scale events, special merchandise, and widespread popularity.
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