Credit: LucasfilmStar Wars and Christmas have a pretty bizarre relationship. The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) has been a laughing stock for 45 years, but that didn’t stop “Life Day,” which was introduced in the farcical festive feature, from being officially canonized.
Life Day is the faraway galaxy’s answer to Christmas (although there’s nothing even remotely festive or heart-warming about the galaxy-wide holiday).
Per StarWars.com, here’s the “origins and meaning” of Life Day:
Life Day began as a Wookiee holiday centered around the Kashyyyk Tree of Life, but can be celebrated by any species in any location. Princess Leia Organa once spoke of Life Day as a reminder that we’re all in the same struggle against the powers of evil and darkness.
Family, joy, and harmony are all among the values and tenets of Wookiee culture that are embraced on Life Day. It’s a time to share the hopes of celebrating freedom and peace, no matter how different we may all appear. People enjoying Life Day traditionally mark this holiday with festive décor, music, activities, and the serving of unique and special food items.
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But while Christmas does not feature in the franchise for obvious reasons — Planet Earth is nowhere in sight — its existence can no longer be ruled out.
Fans have long wondered whether or not Earth exists in the faraway galaxy. If it’s the faraway galaxy, it’s probably a no, but if we’re talking about the wider universe, it’s entirely possible that we are out there somewhere. And if Earth exists, then so does Christmas!
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Earth has been mentioned several times in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, but unfortunately, this wealth of stories, which includes comic books, novels, animated shows, and video games, is no longer considered canon.
And though it’s likely just a bit of fun between directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, the existence of the faraway galaxy is implied in Earth-based films E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and the Indiana Jones trilogy.
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Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999) even appears to acknowledge the former ’80s classic by featuring the E.T. aliens known as the Asogians.
Then there’s the opening text crawl, which starts with “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” Fans have always assumed that we, humans, are the narrators of these stories of old that take place in distant galaxies.
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And though the recent live-action series Ahsoka (2023) seemed to imply that the ancient droid character Huyang (David Tennant) is the narrator, as he becomes the first character in the franchise to utter those iconic words, it doesn’t mean he’s the first one to do so, as he’s simply reciting the in-universe books, History of the Galaxy, Parts One, Two and Three.
As such, Earth may exist in the Star Wars universe. In fact, Ahsoka lends to this theory by introducing a second galaxy, which broke new ground for the franchise, seeing as it has always taken place in “the faraway galaxy.” Even if Earth doesn’t exist in the second galaxy, we now know that the franchise isn’t limited to just one galaxy.
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There’s also a tiny clue in The Mandalorian Season 3 which suggests Earth may be canon. In “Chapter 22: Guns For Hire,” Captain Bombardier (Jack Black) can be heard singing the song, “Do You Love Me?” from the real-world musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
While this is likely nothing more than the showrunners having some fun, we can’t think of any other real-world song that has been used in Star Wars before.
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Earth is also mentioned in the “Star Tours travel agency” for Star Tours — The Adventures Continue at the Disney Parks. And despite its disastrous ending, the defunct Star Wars-themed hotel experience Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser also fits into the wider canon.
It’s tricky to consider a theme park experience as being canon, but it’s fair to say that Disney and Lucasfilm seem to be dropping many clues all over the place!
Do you think Christmas exists in the Star Wars universe? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!