Every year on November 17th, Star Wars fans celebrate Life Day. And every year, I am unsure exactly what Star Wars Life Day is all about? So I decided to do a little research to find out exactly what is Star Wars Life Day. (also referred to as Wookiee Life Day by some). And while it is still several months away, I thought I would write this post now since Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite tickets went on sale this week.
First of all, if I misinterpreted anything that I learned during my research, I apologize in advance to any Star Wars fan who reads this. And if that’s the case, I welcome feedback including your interpretation of exactly what the holiday means.
After reading many articles online, I found out that Life Day was first introduced to the public on November 17, 1978 during a television special titled “The Star Wars Holiday Special”. The special starred Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Beatrice Arthur, Harvey Korman, Art Carney, Diahann Carroll and Jefferson Starship and was about Han Solo and Chewbacca returning to Chewbacca’s home planet, Kashyyyk, to celebrate Life Day. Along the way, the two encounter the Empire before finally reaching Chewbacca’s home planet. The special introduces Chewbacca’s wife named Malla and his son named Lumpy.
According to my research, Life Day is a longstanding Wookiee holiday tradition which celebrates the values of Wookiee culture – family, joy, and harmony (which explains why it is sometimes referred to as Wookiee Life Day). On the planet Kashyyk, there is a Tree of Life which is where the Life Day celebration takes place. However, Wookiees who live on other planets throughout the galaxy also celebrate the holiday with string lights, festive decorations, music and more. Basically the Life Day holiday seems to be a combination of several holidays that we celebrate on Earth like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Independence Day. Today, Life Day has expanded beyond the Wookiees and is a day for everyone to celebrate freedom, harmony and peace together.
Do you celebrate Star Wars Life Day? And did you know the meaning of Life Day before reading this post? I have always wanted to know about the holiday but never took the initiative to find out exactly what the holiday was about. But, last November when Disneyland was celebrating the holiday on Batuu in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, I added to my blog to-do list to find out exactly what Star Wars Life Day was all about.
If you want to learn more about Star Wars Life Day, please visit StarWars.com.
I’ll “see ya real soon” Mouseketeers! And may the force be with you!
