Star Wars: May 4th, the cult and politics
The fact that May 4th is Star Wars Day can be seen in many different places all over the world: in hospitals, on sports fields, in libraries - and also in politics.
For fans of the Star Wars films, May 4th is no ordinary day, but a very special one—a holiday, albeit an unofficial one. This is evident in the fact that you can currently encounter Star Wars in various places around the world. These aren't necessarily places where you might expect to encounter Star Wars. One of these places is the Central Library in Duisburg, a city in the Ruhr region of western Germany. Members of the Star Wars Club of the German Garrison of the 501st Legion met their fans there on Saturday (see article image).
On Saturday, Star Wars also appeared in places not quite as quiet as the library, namely at the stadium in San Francisco, USA. There, the San Francisco Giants faced the Colorado Rockies in baseball, or rather, both somehow met the Stormtroopers, the soldiers of the Star Wars villain Darth Vader.
One day is not enoughOne day isn't enough for many Star Wars fans. And so, you won't only encounter the Star Wars universe on Sunday, May 4th. And the Saturday before might not be enough time either. So it's no wonder that the droid R2-D2 was already making his rounds at a children's hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, on Friday. As you can see, the children are delighted.
It's impossible to tell whether the child in Santiago de Chile is also happy. Because he's wearing a mask of the hairy, gruff, but kind-hearted Chewbacca, one can assume that the child is happy. After all, he came especially to the so-called "Expo Yoda," a Star Wars exhibition in the Chilean capital.
But Star Wars isn't just for children. It's also so successful because it's, or can be, interesting to pretty much everyone. The Star Wars hype, which has been going on for almost 50 years, is also producing strange results. There's even a burlesque show called "The Empire Strips Back - A Burlesque Parody," which can be seen in many places around the world. In the photo here, the performers are posing in London on May 1st. The name, incidentally, is a variation of the original English title of the second film from 1980: "The Empire Strikes Back."
But if just watching Star Wars isn't enough for you—whether on screen, TV, or stage—you can also throw on Star Wars clothes or costumes and run. Just like many people in the 2.5 million-strong city of Taipei, Taiwan, are doing today, May 4th, during the Star Wars Run.
When something is popular, many people want a piece of the action – including politicians. So it's no wonder that Markus Söder, the Minister-President of Bavaria in southern Germany and avowed Star Wars fan, posted something on Instagram today, May 4th, related to Star Wars. He posts a lot on social media. Some posts are a matter of taste.
By the way: If you were wondering why May 4th is Star Wars Day, it's because of the Star Wars saying "May the force be with you." In English, that sounds like "May, the 4th."
dw
