May the Fourth be with you – ways to celebrate Star Wars day

May 4 has been Star Wars day for fans since 1979 and across the world, millions of devotees find their own ways to celebrate. Interestingly, the first trilogy and the prequels all opened in the month of May, but none actually on the 4th.

The day got a new burst of life though when Disney took over the franchise in 2012 and made it an official celebration at its Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks, with a series of special events.

This year, while in-person gatherings are still considered the work of the dark side, there are still lots of ways to enjoy the day. For your solo enjoyment, we’ve rounded up the best things to do to make your May Fourth a good one.

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Star Wars Visions: Volume 2 on Disney+

For May the Fourth, Disney+ has launched two new Star Wars shows, including Star Wars: Visions volume two and Young Jedi Adventures.

Star Wars: Visions volume 2 is a follow-up to the first volume that gave a new fresh and fun take on the Star Wars universe. The first volume even went on to be nominated for an Emmy so we have high hopes for the second volume. In the new Star Wars short films from Disney+, there are many new characters and storylines to explore, including a prisoner escaping a kyber mine, a starfighter pilot racing her mum, and much more.

Star Wars Young Jedi adventures on Disney+

Another fun new show to watch on Disney+ is Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. Aimed at children, Young Jedi Adventures is perfect for parents to introduce their kids to the Star Wars franchise. Set 200 years before the Skywalker saga, young Jedis are learning about the Force from Yoda. The programme revolves around teamwork, friendship and is a simple yet fun take on Star Wars for younger viewers.

Simpsons Star Wars short

Maggie Simpson stars in The Force Awakens from its Nap, a special Star Wars short premiering in Disney+ on May 4. This is the first of a series of Simpsons shorts that will be released this year and brings some well-known Star Wars characters to Springfield. Will it beat Family Guy's Blue Harvest, Something Something Dark Side and It's a Trap? We'll have to wait and see. 

Disney+ is also offering a series of virtual fly-over tours of Star Wars locations (including Hoth, Tatooine and Sorgan) as well as vehicle fly-throughs of the interior and exteriors of the Millennium Falcon and an Imperial Star Destroyer.

Use famous quotes on Sky Q

Sky Q is once again making use of its voice commands to access a wealth of Star Wars content  for Star Wars day. Saying "May the 4th be with you", "No, I am your father", "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away", and a number of others, will take you to its dedicated Star Wars Day page, which features all of the movies and shows you need from across Sky Q – including Sky Cinema and Disney+. 

Ask Alexa 

A whole range of Star Wars based commands have been added to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. Just try one of these requests for a range of fan-pleasing responses: “Alexa, talk like Chewbacca”, “Alexa, talk like Darth Vader”, “Alexa, talk like Jabba the Hut”, “Alexa, talk like R2-D2”, “Alexa, use the Force”, “Alexa, may the Force be with you”, “Alexa, May the fourth be with you”, “Alexa, talk like C-3PO”, “Alexa, aren't you a little short for a storm trooper”, “Alexa, talk like Luke Skywalker”, “Alexa, these aren't the droids you're looking for”, “Alexa, talk like Jar Jar Binks”, “Alexa, give me a Star Wars quote”, “Alexa, that's no moon”, “Alexa, admiral, it's a trap”, “Alexa, talk like Princess Leia”, “Alexa, talk like Yoda”, “Alexa, talk like Han Solo.”

Watch the films

Perhaps the best way to celebrate Star Wars day is with an epic 13-film session. Whether you download, stream them or dig out your old DVDs, it’s the ideal time to revisit the classics, the new generation and those questionable ones in between. If you haven’t already, it could be time to rank them too (Empire is still my #1).

Play the games

If you’re not ready for a rewatch of the films, there are some great Star Wars games to immerse yourself in. And if you don’t own them, now’s the time to buy, with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at up to 70% off on PS4, Xbox One, Origin and Steam until May 12. You can also pick up the bundle of Fallen Order, Battlefront II and Squadrons is also reduced on Xbox and Origin.

Buy the Merch

It’s also a great time to add to your stash of Star Wars gear, with sales and exclusives available across the web from the best Star Wars Lego to pancake molds. Amazon has a page dedicated to Star Wars gear, complete with an exclusive LEGO Razor Crest and Star Wars t-shirt subscription. Otterbox has created a stand for the Amazon Echo Dot that turns the device into Grogu from The Mandalorian while Build-a-bear has 20% off its Grogu bear. GameStop also has up to 50% off Star Wars toys and collectibles.

Speaking of merch, did you know that there is now a brand called Disney Home? This does just what you'd expect: homewares themed around Disney and its sub-brands. Presumably in future we look forward to Donald Duck recliners and Dr Strange Multiverse of Madness wallpaper, but they've sensibly kicked off with Star Wars.

This looks like high-end, adult stuff, with tastefully abstracted wall art and a large rug. Our favourite piece so far is most certainly this Anglepoise-esque Millennium Falcon desk lamp, which sits everyone's favourite hyper-speed smuggler's space ship on a classic articulated arm and heavyweight base. It's yours for just 55 credits.

Take a picture with Grogu

“The Child”, Grogu from The Mandalorian series was added to Google’s Search app back in December as one of 50 new AR creates, but if you haven’t already tried it out, now’s the time. You can find it by searching for Grogu, The Child or Baby Yoda in the Google Search app, on iOS or Android. In the info box you will see an option to “view in 3D.” This will then place an animated AR Grogu into your camera view, allowing you to snap him on your desk, on your sofa, or even on your dog.