Star Wars Day is Saturday: Celebrate May the 4th with these deals

Holy Sith, you guys, Star Wars Day is upon us again.

"May the 4th" is a day for all lovers of Jedi, the Resistance, the Skywalkers, the Hutts, Boba Fett, Baby Yoda, Gamorrean guards, Maz Kanata, General Grievous, Rancor Keeper and Jek Porkins (RIP) to unite and celebrate all there is in the galaxy far, far away. (Why May 4, you ask? Why, it's right there in the date, a play on "May the Force be with you.")

This Star Wars Day, fans will likely be in a nostalgic mood with the 25th anniversary of "The Phantom Menace" arriving later this month. And lovers of Disney+ shows like "Andor" and "The Mandalorian" will be tucking into the new animated series "Tales of the Empire" while they await the June premiere of "The Acolyte."

The franchise full of colorful characters – good, bad and ugly – has remained beloved to generations since George Lucas' original 1977 "Star Wars," which means a lot of ways to get your "May the 4th" on. Here are some of our favorites:

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Watch the 'Star Wars' movies. Or, more likely, watch them again.

Don't look now but there's a "Star Wars" movie back on the big screen: This weekend, Lucas' first prequel "Phantom Menace" (originally released May 19, 1999) is returning to theaters for a special anniversary run.

If you can believe it, there are people who've never seen "Star Wars." But there's no excuse now that all nine movies in the Skywalker saga – as well as the spinoffs "Rogue One" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story" – are a few clicks away on the Disney+ streaming service.

Longtime fans can break out the Blu-rays and DVDs, hunt for VHS cassettes, or – if you want to really go old school – dust off the laser discs. And we do suggest you watch the original edition of "Return of the Jedi," rather than the later special edition that took out the Ewoks' celebration song and inserted Christensen (rather than original "Jedi" star Sebastian Shaw,) into the Dead Jedi Club at the end.

"Yub nub." Never forget.

Binge 'Star Wars' shows, including the new animated series 'Tales of the Empire'

For Star Wars Day, Disney+ is premiering "Tales of the Empire," a new six-episode animated miniseries (and follow-up to 2022's "Tales of the Jedi") centered on two characters venturing into the Galactic Empire from the original movie trilogy: Morgan Elsbeth, a villainess seen in "Ahsoka," is recruited by Imperial forces for her ruthless nature while fallen Jedi Barriss Offee, seen in "The Clone Wars" animated series, becomes one of Darth Vader's vicious Inquisitors.

And if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing the completely adorable Baby Yoda (aka Grogu), now's the time to catch up with the first three seasons of the Disney+ Western-flavored series "The Mandalorian" – starring Pedro Pascal as the armored title gunslinger. Or if your tastes are more politically flavored, check out the intriguing drama "Andor."

Break out the blue milk to pair with your Tauntaun cookies

Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had blue milk on their breakfast table back on Tatooine, and you can enjoy it as well with these recipes. (Seriously, who doesn't want to try blue milk pudding?!)

StarWars.com has a whole section of food-related fun for those who want to party hearty, including Ewok sushi, Tauntaun cookies (with candy innards!) and Chopper cereal treats. If you need more, the "Star Wars: Galactic Baking" cookbook is full of sweet treats to satisfy your little Jawas.

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Read the further adventures of Luke Skywalker and pals

If the impending premiere of "The Acolyte" and news of upcoming movies haven't been exciting enough, the rash of recent comic books and novels – most of them pretty rad – have fleshed out stories not seen in the movies.

The flagship "Star Wars" comic is currently filling in the time between "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" as Luke comes to grips with Darth Vader being his dad. (Forty-year-old spoiler alert!) The recent "Dark Droids" crossover limited series put a horror spin on the usual galactic adventures. Comixology has a great digital sale going on to get newer comics and older series for cheap, and May 4 is also Free Comic Book Day this year, which you means you can grab an issue of "Star Wars" gratis at participating comic book shops on Saturday.

Book lovers wanting to take a trip in the wayback machine can check out the epic "The High Republic" saga, set 200 years before the events of the movies: Young-adult tale "Defy the Storm" is the latest of those chapters to come out. Those whose tastes veer more cinematic will appreciate the "Alphabet Squadron" trilogy, which follows a group of New Republic pilots hunting a mysterious TIE Fighter group exacting revenge after the fall of the Empire (see: "Return of the Jedi").

Say 'Punch it, Chewie!' to some kid activities

StarWars.com offers a whole slew of things for crafty moms and dads to do with their children. Make a Baby Yoda pencil pouch, a Hoth snowglobe or a Death Star pi?ata, and print out various coloring sheets and word searches.

If your kids want some extra starpower, however, check out Daisy Ridley reading "BB-8 On the Run," featuring her character Rey's little droid buddy. Plus, StarWarsKids.com is your one-stop resource for children to find out about all the characters and creatures fans love.

Buy something fun and extremely nerdy

Lots of places discount their Star Wars merch and/or release exclusives on May 4, and StarWars.com has a roundup of all the coolest stuff, from galactic pennants and R2-D2 luggage to Yoda bottles and Death Star rings. If you've got time on your hands (and sufficient shelf space in your house), Lego celebrates its 25th year collaborating with "Star Wars" by debuting a large collector's series version of the TIE Interceptor with a cute little TIE Pilot minifigure and his mouse droid, so you and your family can build to your heart's delight.

As the Mando might say, this is the way.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: May the 4th has arrived: How to celebrate Star Wars Day 2024