It
appears I have a propensity for creating Ahsoka Tano related holidays and
celebrations. I did not create the hashtag #TanoTuesday, but I was the first to
turn Tano Tuesday into a weekly celebration. Next came my daily installment, #AhsokasDailyHoloImage,
followed by the annual holiday, Ahsoka Tano Day (#AhsokaTanoDay), on January 29th.
Then there’s my collection of weekly themed celebrations; #AhsokaArtWeek,
#AhsokaToyWeek, #AhsokaLooksWeek, and the most recent, #AhsokasDailyHoloImage
Fan’s Choice Week. And now, today (March 2nd), marks the first
annual Ahsoka Fans Day (#AhsokaFansDay).
Unlike
all of my previous holidays/celebrations, which mainly focus on celebrating the
character of Ahsoka Tano, Ahsoka Fans Day is simply for fans of Ahsoka to
celebrate their fandom. There is a seemingly endless list of way in which
Ahsoka has touched people’s lives, brought them countless moments of happiness,
or inspired them on a personal and/or creative level. For many a man, woman and
child, Ahsoka has been a rich and important part of life over the past nine
(plus) years. There is an uncanny allure and appeal to Ahsoka that is truly
infectious, and the magnitude at which fans gravitate towards her utterly
remarkable. Ahsoka fans have a deep, palpable passion that leaps out in so many
forms. It’s amazing to watch. Thus, it is my hope that Ahsoka Fans Day will
become an on-going, annual tradition of taking a day out to fully submerge in
our own Ahsoka fandom, while simultaneously connecting and sharing with Ahsoka
fans across the globe.
The
significance of March 2nd lies in the two Coruscant-shattering
events that took place on this date. On March 2, 2013, The Clone Wars fifth
season came to an end with the airing of episode 5.20, “The Wrong Jedi”. The
episode ends with Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order and walking away from Anakin.
It was also Ahsoka’s last “official” appearance on The Clone Wars [I say “official”, as she did appear in
Yoda’s Force vision during the 6.12 “Destiny” episode in 2014.] The
devastation, anguish and anger poured out of Ahsoka fans all over the world. A
piece of our hearts had been torn away from us. Two years later, on March 2,
2015 (after a few voice and hooded hologram teasers), Ahsoka “officially”
returns on the 1.13 “Fire Across The Galaxy” episode of Rebels. It wasn’t the
Ahsoka (look or story), fans were expecting, but Ahsoka was back, and fans were
given a second chance. The impact and emotional potency of these two events was
insane. From the soul-crushing lows, to the elated tear-soaked highs, and
everything in between, it was intense. Need proof? Go watch the YouTube videos
people posted during those two nights and the days after each. March 2nd
had become a date that had highlighted that palpable passion for Ahsoka I spoke
of earlier. It was Ahsoka fandom in its purest form, just that raw,
unrestrained love and inspiration. The perfect day to transform into a
celebration of fans being fans. So last year (2016), on March 2nd, I
Tweeted out that March 2nd will now be known as Ahsoka Fans Day, and
that the first annual Ahsoka Fans Day will be in 2017, which is today.
Everyone
is a fan for different reasons, and everyone’s fandom manifests itself in
different ways. Ahsoka Fans Day is meant to recognize and honor all types,
varieties and levels of Ahsoka Tano fans, their fandom, and what it means to
them.
Happy
first annual Ahsoka Fans Day!
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