Bright suns & rising moons this glorious Life Day…
The most important day in the Star Wars galaxy is here! No, not May the 4th. It’s Star Wars Life Day! While May the 4th (Be With You) is definitely the most popular day to celebrate Star Wars here on Earth, the biggest day of celebration in a galaxy far, far away is November 17, Life Day. We’ll tell you why & how you can celebrate at your local Star Cluster on Batuu West!
Life Day Surprise Announcement!
While Disneyland isn’t officially participating in Life Day (more on that in a little bit), they did mark the occasion with a special announcement. The much-anticipated characters the Mandalorian and Grogu (The Child) will be headed into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge starting tomorrow, November 18! While we’re a little disappointed that the dynamic duo didn’t debut during Life Day, we’re really excited to see the new characters in the land.
Mando and Grogu characters were announced at D23 Expo 2022 with no hard start date. We’ve been itching to see them for months, and we can’t wait to see them in Batuu starting tomorrow.
Star Wars Life Day
Star Wars Life Day was inaugurated in 1978 with The Star Wars Holiday Special. The special is full of practical Wookie costumes, 1970s TV sentimentality, bad jokes and what now seem like dated performances of the era. While it has gained a reputation for being unimaginably bad, in its credit, imagine how any TV special from the 70s might hold up these days. Star Wars original trilogy enthusiasts may be the only ones who tolerate it with viewings on YouTube, but even now, as wacky as the TV special seems, it accomplishes what Star Wars always sets out to do: tell a story of togetherness & overcoming obstacles to protect and be with the ones you love.
In the made-for-TV Holiday Special, which starred the original movie cast, Han Solo and Chewbacca flee from the Empire en route to Kashyyyk (the Wookie home planet) to celebrate Life Day with Chewie’s family. Life Day celebrations on Kashyyyk typically include a family feast, followed by a short sojourn to the Tree of Life to give thanks for the spark of life. They dress in red robes, bring their Life Day Orbs to celebrate light over darkness, and decorate the tree with the lights.
In the special, Chewbacca’s family begins their celebrations for Life Day but seeks counsel from Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia when Chewie is late and unreachable. There are some odd scenes in the special, including one with Bea Arthur (one of the Golden Girls) who is cast as a bartender avoiding scoundrels’ flirtations, and singing all the aliens & patrons out of her bar (I’d drop names here but they’re old as space dirt…). As Stormtroopers hold Chewie’s family under duress Chewie’s son, Lumpy, watches a cartoon called ‘The Faithful Wookie,’ and we see the premiere screen appearance of Boba Fett, in his original, and forgotten, light blue armor.
Just as the Stormtroopers are about to hurt Lumpy, Chewie and Han show up to save the family from the grips of the Empire. As a result, Chewie’s family is free to celebrate Life Day together. They march to the Tree of Life with their Life Day Orbs dressed in their red robes. The special concludes with Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia singing a song of peace, harmony, and joy; followed by a brief montage of Star Wars: A New Hope. While I can’t advise anyone in good faith to spend 90 minutes watching it, if you’re in the holiday spirit with some holiday spirits (alcohol, that is), it might make some interesting background entertainment.
Life Day at Disneyland
While the Disneyland Resort does not officially participate in any Life Day activities, they have begun promoting the day and selling merchandise in honor of the Star Wars holiday. The artwork for this year’s Life Day merchandise has a playful & festive style and rich colors. These items are for sale at The Disneyland Resort and at ShopDisney.com:
At its center, Life Day is a celebration of Family, Joy, and Harmony; three principles of the Wookie culture. While it began with the Wookies, it grew to be celebrated across the galaxy during the forceful reign of the Galactic Empire and has been mentioned in video games and other Star Wars media. You can find nods to Life Day in The Mandalorian, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020), and Marvel’s Star Wars comic books. Each planet has assimilated the holiday with its own traditions, most of them including food and music. There is even a record of celebrations at Black Spire Outpost on Batuu West!
As for in-person Life Day celebrations, this is mainly an event for Star Wars fans, hardcore and casual alike, to come together for a fun, relaxed celebration. Here at Batuu West (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland), on Life Day (Thursday, Nov. 17th) participants are encouraged to don the color red or their favorite Wookie-inspired clothing, and gather for photos and carol singing (common holiday carols with funny Star Wars-themed lyrics). You may bring any Life Day Orbs, buy one on Batuu (the Life Day Orb Ornament does light up), or bring any other lights/lightsabers you wish. Lights will be lit for the processional walk from Rise of the Resistance to the Millenium Falcon, where there will be a large group photo, memorials at the Trilon wishing tree, and potentially more carol singing. Again, this is not an official event and all that is needed to attend is a Disneyland Park ticket & reservation, and you may join for any portion of the listed events.
It’s a wonderful day for Star Wars fans, people in the holiday spirit, and anyone in between to join in some festivities of the season. No special foods have been announced by the Disneyland Resort such as the tasty ‘Wookie Cookie’ but there are new seasonal food items in Galaxy’s Edge:
- Trandoshan-style Pasta with Braised Bantha: Chile-braised Beef, Buttered Garlic Cavatelli, Seasonal Vegetables, Zesty Avocado Sauce, Balsamic Glaze (available at Docking Bay 7)
- Yobshrimp Mix Stew with Swamp Grains: Spicy Tomato Curry Pan Roast with Shrimp, Sausage, Vegetables, Herb Rice (available at Docking Bay 7)
- Jakkuan Corn, Chile & Cheese Pie: Jakkuan Corn, Chile & Cheese Pie
Roasted Poblano Pepper, Corn, Mozzarella, Citrus Dipping Sauce (available at Kat Saka’s Kettle) - Destran Ice Cap: Sprite, Green Apple Syrup, topped with Sweet Cream Cheese (available at Ronto Roasters)
Check out the MiceChat Holiday Food Guide for all food details:
Season’s Eatings! The Complete Disneyland & Festival of Holidays Food Guide 2022
Disneyland Life Day 2022 Schedule
If all this talk of Life Day has you interested in meeting like-minded individuals, we’ve got the tentative schedule for the meet-up this year. Take a look below for what’s planned for tonight:
Nov. 17th Life Day Schedule (times flexible & subject to change)
6:30pm Meet at X-Wing in Batuu West
6:45pm Carol Singing, Round One
7:00pm Orb Lighting & Procession to the Millenium Falcon
7:30pm Group Photo at the Falcon
7:45pm Memorial at the Wishing Tree
8:00pm Carol Singing, Round Two (if needed) at the “Rancor Door”
More details for the event organized by Shawn Crosby and David Milano can be found HERE.
We hope to see you ‘On Planet’ for Life Day! Til the Spire, and may the Force be with you!
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Let’s Hear From You
Now that you know the story behind Life Day, does that make you more likely to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special? Are you planning on celebrating Life Day, at home or in Galaxy’s Edge? Any recommendations on how to enjoy a viewing of the nearly intolerable Star Wars Holiday Special? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Editor’s note: Please welcome Scott Solo to the MiceChat team! This is his first article, and we’re thrilled to have him on board. If you see him in Disneyland (likely in Galaxy’s Edge), be sure to say hi!
Updated 11/17/22: Information about the Mandalorian and Grogu characters coming to Galaxy’s Edge added