MDBCs 04 May 2024

May 4 is celebrated as Star Wars Day by fans of the popular sci-fi film series, Star Wars. It is one of the two days in a year that recognizes the place of the Star Wars franchise in popular culture.

The date for this unofficial fun holiday comes from the often-quoted phrase within the Star Wars universe, may the force be with you. The expression was first used in the first film of the original trilogy, A New Hope. Characters use it to wish others good luck, usually while parting ways. Fans around the world have modified the expression to create the pun May the fourth be with you.

On May 5, fans celebrate Revenge of the Fifth, a play on the title of the sixth movie in the series, Revenge of the Sith. Some Star Wars enthusiasts celebrate it on May 6 stating that Revenge of the Sixth sounds much closer to the original movie name.

British Origins

The origin of the phrase is thought to date back to May 4, 1979. On this day, Conservatives in the United Kingdom published a newspaper advertisement to congratulate their candidate, Margaret Thatcher, for taking the Prime Minister's office. The advertisement said "May The Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations".

Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars is a film series and franchise created by George Lucas. The film series follows events in a galaxy "far, far away" in the "distant past."

The other Star Wars Day celebrated in the year is May 25. It marks the release anniversary of the first movie in the series, A New Hope, in 1977. This day is also sometimes known as Geek Pride Day.

May 25 is also Towel Day, which celebrates the hugely popular science fiction comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (H2G2) by Douglas Adams.

Admirers of the Star Wars franchise observe May 21 as Talk like Yoda Day to mark the first time the much-loved character Yoda made his big-screen debut in the United States.

How to Celebrate?

Dress up like Star Wars characters and have a Star Wars-themed party.
Greet everyone you meet with the phrase May the fourth be with you.
Organize marathon viewings of the saga, and participate in Star Wars trivia contests.

Did You Know…

...that the South Pacific island of Niue accepts collectible Star Wars-themed coins issued by the New Zealand Mint in 2011 as legal tender?

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Herb Day

Herb Day is an unofficial holiday annually celebrated on the first Saturday of May.

Created and organized by the Herb Day Coalition, an organization of five non-profit groups, the holiday encourages people to learn more about herbs and use them more extensively in their daily lives.

The holiday, which first began in 2006 in the United States, brings together herbalists, gardeners, manufacturers of herbal products, culinarians and home cooks, and the general public. It attempts to spread knowledge about the medicinal, culinary and cosmetic benefits of herbs.

Different From Spices

Botanically, herbs are green parts of a plant that are used in food, medicine or as additional flavoring. They are usually leaves and can be used fresh or dried. Herbs are distinct from spices, which are usually dried or processed non-leafy – seeds, barks, roots, or stems – parts of a plant or a tree.

Worshiped Plants

People around the world use herbs for cooking and for medicinal purposes. Some cultures consider herbs as having spiritual qualities and extensively use them during religious ceremonies. In India for example, basil is considered to be a holy plant and is worshiped in many parts of the country.

How to Celebrate?

Learn more about different kind of herbs and their uses.
Start a small herb garden in your kitchen – herbs are easy to grow and they will make your kitchen smell nice.

Did You Know…

…that some people perceive the taste of cilantro or coriander as being soapy and like eating bugs? Studies have shown that this is because they have a special olfactory receptor gene called OR6A2, that makes them sensitive to the aldehyde chemicals found in the herb.

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Free Comic Book Day

The first Saturday of May every year is celebrated around the world as Free Comic Book Day. On this day, participating specialty comic book stores give out free comics to anyone visiting their stores.

The holiday has three main aims – to create new comic book readers, to show appreciation to current comic book fans, and to bring back former comic book readers by reminding them about the joy of reading comic books. The holiday also encourages people to get acquainted with the art and science of comic books and to patronize their local comic book stores.

The unofficial holiday was first observed in the United States and Canada in 2002. It has now become a popular holiday around the world.

Following the footsteps of Free Comic Book Day, German, Austrian, and Swiss comic book industry and stores started their own version of the unofficial holiday in 2010. Gratis Comic Tag as the holiday is called, is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of May.

Comic book stores in the Netherlands and Belgium celebrate Free Comic Book Day on the first Saturday and Sunday of May.

How to Celebrate?

Visit your local participating comic store and get your free copy of a comic.
If you have kids in your life, why not take this day to introduce them to the world of comic books?

Did You Know…

…that typographic symbols used in comics to represent profanity are known as grawlixes?

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Louie was shipwrecked and lived alone on a desert island for years until he was finally rescued. Before leaving the island, he gave the rescue party a tour. "I built myself a house. That's it there. Here's the barn, and over here is the church I worshipped in."

"What's that building over there?" one of the rescuers asked.

Louie sneered. "That's the church I used to belong to."

***

Arrested on a robbery charge, our law firm's client denied the allegations. So when the victim pointed him out in a lineup as one of four men who had attacked him, our client reacted vociferously.

"He's lying!" he yelled. "There were only three of us."

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My neighbor's boat has a peculiar name: Innuendo. After failing to divine some deep, hidden meaning, I asked him how he came up with the name. He answered, "My wife works for a proctologist."

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Our daughter took the afternoon off from her job at the funeral home to visit her daughter in preschool. When one of the kids asked what she did for a living, my granddaughter answered for her: "She sells underground furniture."