Star Wars: How Wookie Life Day Proves That The Most Powerful Ship In The Galaxy Is Friend-ship
Life Day is a time of joy, of family, of harmony throughout the galaxy. Even the Dark Times of the Empire could not snuff its light.
The technological terrors of the galaxy are dreadful indeed. Battlestations that can destroy a planet in a single shot. Massive galactic forges that can build an army that can darken the skies above numberless worlds. Even weapons capable of destroying the very stars themselves. And yet all of these are insignificant compared to the power of the Force.
So the saying goes. But are they, really? When people think of the Force, they might think of a Jedi Knight using the Force to run a little faster. Or to move some rocks through the air. Some may have heard the legends of those who could lift even X-Wings from the depths of forgotten swamps.
But does being able to stand on one hand while balancing an ancient master on one foot really pale in comparison to the ability to strike the very stars from the sky? Does being able to choke out a disagreeable admiral equal the ability to destroy a planet?
You could be forgiven for answering no. But that’s just because the true power of the Force lies not in individual feats, but in how it binds the galaxy together. And nowhere is that more emblematic than in a holiday originating on Kashyyyk: Life Day.
The (Force) Ghost of Life Day Past
But where did the tradition begin? And why does one day matter so much to so many? The galaxy is an impossibly huge place. How can one day have such an impact?
The answer lies within and beneath the towering Wroshyr trees on Kashyyyk. For time immemorial, Life day had been an important celebration to the Wookiees. It was a time of joy and peace. Of celebrating the tenets of Wookiee culture. Life day was about embracing your neighbor, and embarking on a pilgrimage to the Tree of Life – the representation of the first seed and spark of life on the planet Kashyyyk.
And it was on one such Life Day celebration, not too long before the Invasion of Naboo, that the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi helped reaffirm the bond between Wookiees and Jedi. They had come to meet one of Master Qui-Gon’s friends (an oddity among the Jedi), a Wookiee named Brennonn. Brennonn was missing a comrade, named Balfus, and while on the search, a band of Trandoshan hunters attacked the Wookiees, taking several captive, alongside Qui-Gon.
Fortunately, Kenobi was able to rescue the Wookiees and his Master, driving off the Trandoshans in time to get back to Life Day.
Life Day Present – A Gift of Love And Friendship
Life Day was celebrated with feasts and songs. And of course, the traditional Life Day Orbs. These Orbs were used to decorate the Tree of Life, making it glitter as the galaxy does. The light reflected through the glimmering Life Day Orbs reminds us all that togetherness and family are the heart of the galaxy.
It is this kind of love that can conquer even the darkest of times. It is the love of a father for a son—the sort of thing exemplified in the love Chewbacca showed his son, Lumpawaroo (better known as Lumpy), protecting him from an Imperial Soldier one memorable Life Day. Or in the love that Chewbacca’s own father, Itchy, displayed, motivating him to deceive Imperial Stormtroopers with a clever device. It is in the hope of a wife hoping to see her beloved, as Malla, Chewbacca’s wife, hoped to see Chewie and his friend Han Solo return that same, extraordinarily eventful Life Day.
And in the wake of the Battle of Yavin, the power of Life Day spread. As the Empire fell, Life Day became an annual holiday throughout the galaxy. Even on distant Batuu and Jakku they celebrate Life Day. It was a testament to the unconquerable spirit of all sentient life. Not even the darkest days of the Galactic Empire could snuff out the light of hope that Life Day kindled.
Many who were oppressed by Imperial occupation found renewed hope each Life Day. Even thugs and gangsters such as Boggs Triff and Waldee celebrated the day and exchanged gifts. Because Life Day resides within the hearts of all who share in love and compassion and tolerance.
Life Day Yet to Come
Even in the days following the rise of the First Order, Life Day was an important part of galactic life. General Leia Organa used the spirit of Life Day to steel the resolve of Resistance fighters prior to their fateful attack on Starkiller Base.
So unquenchable is the light of hope that it matters not if every Life Day Orb were shattered. If every star went dark. The Whills, who have long recorded thehi story of the galaxy, will note down the importance of this day. Of how, even in times of war and oppression, the great heroes of the Rebellion or the Resistance or any other organization yet to come would always find a time to raise their hearts in song, and their Orbs in celebration of Life Day.
As one Jedi Master was said to have observed: May the Force be with us, everyone.
