It is readily apparent that the release of the original trilogy was tied to the Day of Pentecost, the first two films being released before the feast day, and the final film in the Octave.
The prequel trilogy followed a similar pattern.
However, with the latest trilogy, the pattern has shifted to one apparently tied to the O Antiphons. The second film missed the traditional start of the O Antiphons, but it got pretty close.
Film Title
Nearest Liturgical Day
Difference
IV. A New Hope (1977)
Pentecost, 29 May
4 days before
V. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Pentecost, 25 May
4 days before
VI. Return of the Jedi (1983)
Pentecost, 22 May
3 days after
I. The Phantom Menace (1999)
Pentecost, 23 May
4 days before
II. Attack of the Clones (2002)
Pentecost, 19 May
3 days before
III. Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Pentecost, 15 May
4 days after
VII. The Force Awakens (2015)
O Adonai, 18 December
none
VIII. The Last Jedi (2017)
O Sapientia, 17 December
2 days before
IX. The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
O Clavis David, 20 December
none
With the original trilogy, the concept of the Force was introduced to audiences, so a tie in the Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit, seems natural. The second trilogy followed this same pattern, with the terminal film being released again during the Pentecost Octave.
The connection to the O Antiphons, however, seems more tenuous, especially with the second film not actually aligning with the start of the O Antiphons.
But I suspect the content of the latest film and the antiphon "O Clavis David" will have a nice resonance.
O Key of David and scepter of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Actually, Pentecost of 2016 is closer to the Episode VII's 2015 release date. It's only 149 days afterward. But still, I don't see the significance of that number either.
There's no question that the number of screens we have available to us have changed our lives and can change our schools. There's also no doubt in my mind that we need to limit the amount of "screen time" that kids have.
Thirteen-year-old Tom Zimmerman gets it: "One example: this one kid who was, like, in this room, and he had, like, this fake lightsaber, and he was acting really crazy. And it looked really stupid. And it was funny, but I'm sure that kid won't want it in the future. But so many people have taken that video and put it on their channels that there's no way of getting rid of it."
That 2002 video — of one teen boy in a heated lightsaber battle with himself —has been watched millions of times, but the so-called "Star Wars Kid," now in his 20s, says he was bullied because of it and had to leave school.
And that gives principals like Brad Zacuto not one but two big reasons to worry about screen time: 1) Because of what's not happening — important face-to-face time; and 2) Because of what is happening — kids putting themselves out there in embarrassing and potentially dangerous ways.
links removed
I beg to differ. Thirteen-year-old Tom Zimmerman doesn't get it. Neither does reporter Cory Turner.
The problem with the "Star Wars Kid" video is not the video; it's the bullying. Why aren't we talking about the bullying?
Because the video "is pretty amazing", or so comments reporter Cory Turner in the audio version of the story.
Just see for yourself:
So, step back and look at this. What is being proposed here is that kids not "put themselves out there" at all.
Is that wise? In this increasingly digital economy we want to stifle this form of creative self-expression too? We've already taken away art and music, and now kids can't even make awesome YouTube videos in their basements?
So what if you embarrass yourself? Make another one! There has to be a happy medium here. Kids have to be able to play around with this stuff. We've never had video tools available like we do today. Don't we want kids to play with this stuff?
The odds of your video going viral are next to nothing (not discussed in the NPR story) and the odds of you encountering bullying are pretty high (not addressed in the NPR story).
What's really "dangerous" here is stifling imagination, risk-taking, and a sense of play. What's really "dangerous" is telling kids that they must conform to their peers, not stick out in any way, and not have any original ideas, lest they be bullied by the enforcers of the status quo.
The answer is more creative self-expression, not less. Every kid should have to submit a "Star Wars" video.
The author of this website is an organist whom the New York Times calls “repeatedly, insisting that he pay for his subscription”.
He likes to read parking meters, music, Indianapolis Monthly, and weather forecasts in Celsius, particularly whilst wearing cassock and surplice.
He serves lasagna, overhand, as an example to many, and on ecclesiastical juries. He mixes salads, drinks, and metaphors. He takes photos, lots of dinner mints, and a little bit of time to get to know.
Still not quite sure what is going on with the liturgical timing of Star Wars films these days, but we are here to document it anyway.