Movie fans across the world have been marking Star Wars Day in style, donning costumes and posting to social media to show their appreciation for the sci-fi franchise.
By PA
May 4 2019 6:15 PM
Movie fans across the world have been marking Star Wars Day in style, donning costumes and posting to social media to show their appreciation for the sci-fi franchise.
Star Wars Day is celebrated on May 4 each year, with pun-making fans declaring “May the fourth be with you” in homage to the film series’ classic Jedi phrase.
Happy #StarWarsDay to all our fans around the world and #MayThe4thBeWithYou! pic.twitter.com/CzMsetw9IT
With Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew passing away earlier this week, his family used the opportunity to share a special message.
May the 4th is a tribute to the scale of Star Wars reach and as we process losing Peter we have been reading all of your posts, hearing your stories & seeing decades worth of fan photos and from the bottom of our hearts we wanted to say Thank You. #MayThe4thBeWithYou#Chewbaccapic.twitter.com/Z9XyeJDBTW
A post on the actor’s Twitter account read: “May the 4th is a tribute to the scale of Star Wars reach and as we process losing Peter we have been reading all of your posts, hearing your stories & seeing decades worth of fan photos and from the bottom of our hearts we wanted to say Thank You.”
While many fans were tweeting, on England’s south coast, cosplay actors at Portsmouth Comic Con took to the streets in their finest outfits, with Mayhew’s own character Chewbacca, Darth Vader and many a stormtrooper on show.
Meanwhile in Ireland, members of the 501st Legion Ireland Garrison dressed as further characters including Rey and a snow trooper on a boat trip to Skellig Michael.
The most recent Star Wars trilogy was partially filmed on the small island.
In nearby Portmagee, as part of the town’s May the 4th Festival, young children practised their skills with a lightsaber by duelling on the grass.
