Happy Life Day (And How Did This Become a Thing?!)
Today is officially Life Day in the Star Wars galaxy, but how did this holiday come out of one of the most infamous Star Wars projects ever?
Nov 17, 2024
Lucasfilm/Youtini Illustration
oday is officially Life Day in the Star Wars galaxy, but how did this holiday come out of one of the most infamous Star Wars projects of all time?
The backstory:
On November 17th, 1978 The Star Wars Holiday Special was aired for the first and only time on CBS
The special brought the main Star Wars crew of Luke, Han, and Leia back to Chewbacca’s home planet, Kashyyyk, to celebrate Life Day with his family
The special is filled with a number of wacky moments and less-than-ideal production values that caused it to be universally ridiculed by fans, critics, and even George Lucas
The evolution:
Life Day nostalgia began to pop up in the early 2000s Star Wars video game communities with commemorative events held in Star Wars Galaxies starting in 2003 and in Star Wars: The Old Republic starting in 2011
Later years brought the holiday into more official spaces with projects like The Mandalorian and the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special mentioning its in-universe existence
Galaxy’s Edge officially released merchandise commemorating the day on November 17th, 2021
Life Day celebrates family, joy, and harmony, so spend the day with loved ones and pick up George Mann & Cavan Scott’s Life Day Treasury for a bit of holiday cheer!
Eric Eilersen is a Senior Writer at Youtini and co-host of The Youtini Show. He loves collecting Star Wars Funkos, lightsabers, and LEGO as well as playing video games, reading Brandon Sanderson novels, watching the Dallas Cowboys, and spending time with his partner and pets. You can follow him at @EricEilersen.
