In 1978, when The Star Wars Holiday Special was released, the focus of the TV special was on Life Day. As a result of the special, this holiday celebrated by the Wookiees of Kashyyyk every three years has gone on to become the most famous holiday celebrated in the Star Wars universe. However, it is just one of many holidays celebrated throughout the galaxy.
Should a second (or third if you count the LEGO one) holiday special ever be made, here are some of the holidays that could be explored in addition to the famous Life Day.
1. Empire Day
Marked to celebrate the day that Palpatine declared himself the Emperor and the Old Republic ended, this holiday is held to honor the glory and might of the Galactic Empire. Though it is celebrated galaxy-wide, the closer you get to the central planets, the more zealous the festivities are likely to be.
Military parades are held on many Imperial-controlled planets, as well as the anthem “Glory of the Empire” being played. Attendance at these festivities is usually mandatory. The biggest celebration of all is obviously held on Coruscant where the week leading up to Empire Day is called Ascension Week, and the festival lasts all week long. Of course, since the fall of the Empire, Empire Day has fallen out of favor with little to no celebration marking the occasion after the formation of the New Republic. Still, the celebrations that existed during the time of the Empire were some of the biggest and most extravagant of the era.
2. Republic Day/Remembrance Day
Before Empire Day, there was Republic Day, the day marked to celebrate the forming of the Galactic Republic. The holiday was observed across the galaxy, but like Empire Day, the celebrations were usually the most elaborate on Coruscant, with fireworks and parades. It was common at the time for stores to celebrate the day with sales on their merchandise as well.
However, after the fall of the Republic, Republic Day was traded out for Empire Day. Those who opposed the Empire continued to honor the fallen Republic, calling it Remembrance Day instead. Remembrance Day is intentionally held simultaneously with Empire Day and is used to honor all the soldiers who have died fighting for the Rebel Alliance.
While any who oppose the Empire are welcome to celebrate Remembrance Day, it’s particularly popular on Corellia, specifically in Coronet City, where Rebel sympathy is more popular than other places in the galaxy. There, the fireworks tradition from Republic Day is still held. Other Rebel supporters choose to observe the holiday with “Remember Alderaan” posters or, in some cases, try to deface Imperial propaganda posters that they can find. It’s not clear if Remembrance Day continued to be observed past the fall of the Empire or if it died out along with Empire Day.
3. Festival of the Ancestors
Taking place on the desert planet Pasaana, this celebration is held only once every 42 years. We get a glimpse of the festivities in The Rise of Skywalker when Rey, Finn, and Poe briefly visit Pasaana, trying to locate Lando. The massive crowd dance that the festival is known for can be seen in the film.
While most of the festival attendees are the Aki-Aki, the native species to the planet, off-world visitors are more than welcome to participate in the event and are always greeted warmly by the locals. Visitors are even given necklaces of flowers to welcome them to the celebration. According to C-3P0, the festival is also known for the abundance of sweets that are available as well as the colorful kites that are flown during the festival.
4. Boonta Eve
This holiday is celebrated every year on the planet Tatooine and is in honor of Boonta Hestilic Shad’ruu, a legendary Hutt who ascended to godhood. The Boonta Eve is held to mark the occasion of Boonta Hestilic Shad’ruu’s ascension. Very little is known about the celebration or holiday itself as it is, for the most part, only celebrated by the Hutts on Tatooine.
However, it’s more famous to the rest of the galaxy because of the Boonta Eve Classic: a podrace that is held every year on Boonta Eve. The Hutts hold the event every year in honor of Boonta Hestilic Shad’ruu, and it’s become one of the more well-known podracing events, drawing racers and spectators from across the galaxy. This is the podrace we get to watch Anakin win in The Phantom Menace.
What’s your favorite Star Wars holiday? Let us know in the comments!