The iconic phrase that is affiliated with the beloved Star Wars trilogy represents more than just movie fanatics. First said by General Dodonna in A New Hope, the notorious good-luck-and-farewell expression “may the force be with you” has become infamous as millions worldwide recognize and celebrate this day as Star Wars Day. The love for this film enterprise has also made its way to May 5, which many fans refer to as “Revenge of the Fifth.”

 Despite being the second highest grossing film of all time in Canada and the US,  the first known celebration of Star Wars Day did not take place until 2011. Held at an underground cinema in Toronto, the Star Wars movies (which, at the time, was a total of six) were celebrated by costume contests and a movie marathon. Believe it or not, the punny twist of the phrase was first used by an English political party as a congratulatory statement in response to Margaret Thatcher’s election on May 4, 1979–two years after the release of A New Hope. The impact of both the movies and the saying are shown as Twitter memes, conventions, hashtags, and television marathons flood the internet. Additionally, this Star Wars Day, a gold Darth Vader mask will go on sale for one million euros.

 Today not only recognizes the success Star Wars has brought to the cinematic industry, but also a new era of filmography (a list of films by one director or actor, or on one subject). As one of the first action-packed technological movies of its time, Star Wars represents the beginning of special effect motion pictures. This is clearly seen with the release of the Indiana Jones and Star Trek sagas a few years later. Since its debut back in ‘79, the original three movies have gone on to acquire five more, three of which are part of the prequel. The past two years have also seen a tremendous amount of enthusiasm with the release of The Force Awakens, which is marked as the second-biggest worldwide film since 2002,  Rogue One, and the soon-to-be eighth episode, The Last Jedi, expected to air this December. Despite being forty years old, “Star Wars is a medicine that can cure anything,” according to sophomore Matt Bulmer; surely, everyone can agree.