Skip to main content

Celebrating Star Wars Day

star-wars-logoForget Christmas, New Year’s, the Fourth of July – even your birthday. Star Wars Day eclipses them all for truly devoted fans, and this year is no exception. LucasFilms celebrated the holiday with a sneak peak at extended footage to be released with the Blu-ray editions this September. But the excitement doesn’t end there: Here are the best ways to embrace your inner Jedi, stormtrooper, or bounty hunter. Just remember, hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

star wars on dvd“It’ll be like old times, Luke. They’ll never stop  us.”

Get comfortable – you’re about to revel in the majesty that is the entire Star Wars saga. That means you’ve got about six and a half hours of the Force in front of you. But that’s only if you stop at the original trilogy (and no one would blame you for quitting there). If you’re up to completing the series, get ready for an additional seven hours.

Recommended Videos

Of course if you’re celebrating the holiday, it’s safe to assume you’ve seen the films once or twice. Add a little intrigue and try to spot these Meta-Star Wars moments:

  • In Episode IV: A New Hope, Luke calls out “Carrie” instead of “Leia” after the demise of the Death Star.
  • In Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Han Solo gets…a little friendly with Leia. Let’s just say he misses her shoulder in an attempt to help her.
  • The very first shot of the Millennium Falcon reveals it’s missing a very important feature.
  • In Episode IV: A New Hope, During the Sandpeople attack, C-3PO’s head is dented. The dent makes inconsistent appearances throughout the rest of the movie.

Wookie Cookies“You’re lucky you don’t taste very good.”

There is no shortage of Star Wars themed cookbooks available for the holiday. Wookiee Cookies: And other Galactic Recipes is one of our favorites and includes Mos Eisley Morsels, Hoth Chocolate, and Han-burgers. If that’s a little too gimmicky for you, you can get traditional with some Blue milk – also known as Bantha or Tatooine milk.

“In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.”

Star Wars CCGThe Star Wars Customizable Card Game has been labeled one of the most complicated games in existence and in the mid-90s was a top-selling CCG, bested only by Magic: The Gathering. If you can get your hands on a couple decks, decide who will be the Light Side and who will be the Dark Side, then let the games begin. First timers, be forewarned: It’s not a quick learn. But those with in-depth knowledge of the saga (better yet, anyone who’s read the books) will be rewarded for their obsession. Looking for something a little less in-depth? There are also Star Wars editions of Risk, Trivial Pursuit, and BattleShip.

If you prefer to celebrate alone, you’re in luck. Star Wars and comic book fans alike have something to celebrate Saturday, May 7 as it just so happens to be free comic book day. In honor of both holidays Dark Horse Comics is releasing a special Star Wars comic.

Leias“You certainly have a way with people…”

Are you the only one in your group of friends who knew what today was? Does no one else understand why you say “I thought they smelled bad on the outside”? We know – it can be an isolating feeling. Being alone during the holidays is tough, there are various Star Wars meetups to be found. Disclaimer: Use your own discretion. If someone sounds like he wants to chain you to the ground in a metal bikini, run for the hills. Of course, you can always open your own chapter of the Church of the Jedi, and then you and your brethren can worship unto Skywalker together.

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
George Lucas abandoned a Star Wars twist that would have changed Obi-Wan’s story
Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor stand back to back in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

Few Star Wars characters have a story as well-known or important as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The character, first introduced as an older Jedi in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, is both a noteworthy mentor to Luke and Anakin Skywalker and a tragic figure due to the dissolution of his friendship with the latter. Thanks to Ewan McGregor and Alec Guinness' dual, decades-spanning performances as the character, Obi-Wan's story has been brought to life in almost its entirety over the years, too.

However, it turns out that Star Wars creator George Lucas originally had a very different idea for Obi-Wan Kenobi's story. In an interview with StarWars.com, Iain McCaig, who worked as a behind-the-scenes artist on Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, revealed that Lucas originally intended to swap the names of Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn in that film. "It’s interesting how things evolve,” McCaig commented. “For a time, the older Jedi was named Obi-Wan and the younger Jedi was named Qui-Gon."

Read more
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew trailer: The Jedi kids are alright in new Disney+ show
A group of children gather around Jude Law.

A new generation of heroes is born in the Star Wars: Skeleton Crew trailer.

After making a startling discovery on their planet, four kids — Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) — find themselves lost in a foreign galaxy. In need of desperate help, the kids encounter Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), a Force user who agrees to help them get home. The trip will be dangerous, evidenced by murderous pirates breathing down their necks.

Read more
Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley reveals why she finds her return as Rey ‘scary’
Daisy Ridley as Rey in The Rise of Skywalker.

Last year, Lucasfilm announced a handful of promising new film projects set within the Star Wars universe, including one that will follow Rey (Daisy Ridley) as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order following the events of 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy subsequently confirmed in an interview with IGN that the film will take place 15 years after the conclusion of Star Wars' Sequel Trilogy and will find the Jedi "in disarray" and Rey trying to rebuild the Order "based on the books, based on what she promised Luke (Mark Hamill)."

Since then, progress on the project has been slow. Its original writers, Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, departed the project in March 2023, and their replacement, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, reportedly parted ways with the film recently as well. For her part, Daisy Ridley has remained fairly tight-lipped about the project and its status. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, though, she did open up about actually preparing to reprise her life-changing Star Wars role.

Read more