The Star Wars Holiday Special

Chewbacca and Han Solo are en route to Kashyyyk aboard the Millennium Falcon, intending to celebrate Life Day, a Wookiee festival, with Chewbacca's family. After their departure from Tatooine, the duo is pursued by a pair of Star Destroyers. While Han suggests turning back, Chewbacca urges him to proceed, leading them to engage hyperspace.

On Kashyyyk, Chewbacca's family is eagerly anticipating his arrival and preparing for the celebration. Itchy is crafting a toy X-wing for Lumpy, Malla is busy in the kitchen, and Lumpy is playing with an already assembled X-wing toy. Malla has set out a bowl of Wookiee-ookiees on the table. Lumpy attempts to grab one before mealtime, but Malla catches him and asks him to dispose of the day's trash. Lumpy places the trash outside and climbs onto the railing to walk along it.

Back inside the dwelling, Malla and Itchy express their concern over Chewbacca's delayed arrival. Malla retrieves a photograph of Chewbacca, and Itchy notices her worries. He provides assurance that Chewbacca is safe, after which she returns the picture. Lumpy re-enters the house, and Itchy retrieves an activity capsule from a cabinet, showing it to Lumpy. Malla objects to this, but Itchy persuades her otherwise and inserts the capsule into a circular table-machine. After Itchy activates the device, Lumpy sits down and watches a computer-generated performance by a group of circus performers. Upon the performance's conclusion, Lumpy applauds and turns off the machine. Malla then requests Lumpy's assistance with washing the dishes.

Malla and Itchy's worries resurface. Malla employs a computer to scan for any starships in the vicinity, but the computer yields no results. She activates a concealed viewscreen and makes contact with Luke Skywalker, who is working on his X-wing starfighter with assistance from the droid R2-D2. Luke is unaware of the situation and suggests that Han and Chewbacca likely made a stop elsewhere and will arrive soon. He encounters some difficulties when the component he is working on begins to emit steam. Recognizing that he is occupied, Malla terminates the communication viewscreen.

Subsequently, Malla reaches out to Saun Dann, a local Human merchant on the planet. He is engaged in a transaction with an Imperial Navy trooper when Malla contacts him, requiring him to address the trooper's needs first. Saun Dann proposes several items, none of which pique the guard's interest. While the guard is preoccupied examining items, Saun Dann communicates with Malla through a carefully constructed message, indicating that Han and Chewbacca are en route and should be arriving shortly. However, he too is ignorant of their present location. He deactivates the viewscreen and suggests a multi-functional groomer. The guard takes the item without offering anything in return, leaving Saun Dann with no choice but to let him take it, and he comments sarcastically that he considers it a gift to the guard.

Concurrently, aboard a Star Destroyer, an Imperial officer informs Darth Vader that a blockade has been established around Kashyyyk and a search is underway for the Rebels. Vader instructs him to persist in the search, even if it requires inspecting every household in the system.

Back on Kashyyyk, Malla is in the process of preparing dinner for the evening's celebration. She activates a viewscreen to watch a cooking program featuring Gormaanda, a chef with four arms. Gormaanda provides instructions on how to prepare Bantha rump. When she begins to accelerate the cooking process, Malla struggles to keep pace and turns off the viewscreen.

In space, the Millennium Falcon approaches Kashyyyk. Unaware of the blockade, Chewbacca and Han are attacked by four TIE/LN starfighters. After neutralizing a few using the cockpit's remote controls, Han resorts to descending to the quad cannons to operate them manually, while Chewbacca assumes control of the main systems.

On Kashyyyk, Itchy is relaxing in his chair while Malla is walking around. Suddenly, an Imperial officer announces on the viewscreen that a blockade has been imposed around the planet, and that the Empire has declared martial law. Immediately after the announcement, there is a knock at the door. Alarmed, Itchy goes to answer it. To their relief, it is Saun Dann, who has brought Life Day gifts for everyone. He presents Malla and Lumpy with their gifts first, and they depart to open them. Saun Dann then gives Itchy his gift—a memory chip—which he inserts into Itchy's mind evaporator. Itchy watches with excitement as a human female performs a song.

At a Rebel base, Leia and the droid C-3PO are engaged in a task. Malla contacts them via viewscreen to inform them that Chewbacca and Han have not yet arrived. Leia inquires whether Malla is alone and is relieved to learn that Saun Dann is present to protect her. Malla deactivates the viewscreen. Saun Dann detects the aroma of "Wookiee-ookiees," and he and Malla proceed to the kitchen.

Returning to the Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca and Han are nearing Kashyyyk. Han notices the high concentration of Imperials in the area, so they decide to land on the planet's north side—a secure zone. He points out that this location is distant from the Wookiee household, implying a lengthy walk. Despite Chewbacca's objections, they decide to proceed with the landing as planned. As they enter Kashyyyk's atmosphere, Lumpy hears the roar of a ship. Everyone in the house becomes excited and rushes to the door. Malla opens the door to find two stormtroopers aiming their blaster pistols at her, with two Imperial officers positioned behind them.

Malla roars, but the Imperials force their way inside. The commanding officer surveys the house to account for all occupants and discovers that a male Wookiee is missing. He orders his men to conduct a thorough search of the premises. The officers proceed to search the house, nearly uncovering the concealed communication device Malla uses to maintain contact with Luke. To divert the Imperials' attention, Saun Dann proposes that he and Malla prepare some food for everyone. Saun Dann activates Malla's gift—a music box—for one of the officers and observes alongside the officer while Malla prepares the food.

A holographic band materializes on the box and performs a song. Upon the video's conclusion, the commanding officer orders the search to continue and instructs the officer who watched the music band to resume his duties. Saun Dann departs, believing he can no longer be of assistance. The commanding officer instructs Malla to keep Lumpy occupied while they conduct their search, so Lumpy sits down to watch a program on a viewscreen.

During a quest for a talisman, the Millennium Falcon—piloted by Chewbacca and Han—crash-lands on a moon within the Panna system. At a rebel base, Leia, Luke, C-3PO, and R2-D2 express concern over Han and Chewbacca's failure to return, prompting Luke and the droids to embark on a Y-Wing to the Panna moon. Upon landing, they are attacked by a colossal creature that begins to devour part of the Y-wing; this compels Luke to eject the cockpit from his craft. An armored figure appears, riding a larger creature, and proceeds to strike the other creature with a blaster bolt from his staff, causing it to flee. He introduces himself as Boba Fett and offers his assistance. Luke drives toward the Millennium Falcon's crash site, during which C-3PO advises him to be cautious about trusting Fett. Aboard the Millennium Falcon, Han has contracted a sleeping virus caused by the talisman. Luke also immediately contracts the virus. Fett and Chewbacca make their way into Panna City. It is under Imperial occupation, so Fett instructs Chewbacca to remain behind while he procures the serum. Once he is away from Chewbacca, Fett contacts Darth Vader to inform him of the situation. Vader reveals that Fett is a notorious bounty hunter who is collaborating with Vader in a scheme to uncover the location of the Rebels.

Lumpy cries out in horror at the events unfolding in the program. This alerts the main Imperial officer, who approaches to investigate what is wrong. Lumpy pretends that nothing is amiss and shuts off the cartoon as the officer approaches. He then resumes the program with C-3PO tending to Han and Luke. He and R2-D2 intercept the communication between Vader and Fett on their viewscreen, and C-3PO declares that they must inform Luke. After evading the Imperials, Fett and Chewbacca return to the ship with the serum. After administering the serum to Han and Luke, they recover and everyone becomes aware of Fett's true allegiance. Boba activates his jet pack and blasts off, promising that he will encounter them again. Everyone departs the planet aboard the Millennium Falcon. Lumpy deactivates the monitor and applauds.

Upstairs, the Imperials search and ransack Lumpy's room. One of them tears the head off of Lumpy's stuffed bantha. Lumpy arrives after they have returned downstairs. He is saddened by the damage to his cherished toy and attempts to reattach its head. He places it on his bed and covers it with a blanket. Lumpy then opens the gift Saun Dann gave him and inserts the instructional video, which guides him on how to assemble the device—a mini-transmitter. A humanoid described as an "Amorphiian Being from the system Amorphiia" appears on the video. The video's announcer explains that Amorphiian beings have bodies that will often temporarily cease functioning. Throughout the program, this Amorphiian does exactly that. After instructing Lumpy on the basics of the product, the Amorphiian shuts down completely and collapses onto the floor. Lumpy deactivates the video.

Downstairs, while the Imperials are still searching, a video appears on the living room viewscreen. Its narrator describes it as "Life on Tatooine" and states that it is "required viewing by all Imperial personnel," so all the Imperials in the house focus their attention on the viewscreen. Initially, individuals are seen walking the streets of Mos Eisley. The focus then shifts to the interior of a cantina, where a band is performing and the patrons are drinking and conversing. The bartender—Ackmena—is in the midst of serving drinks when a humanoid named Krelman enters. He seems very interested in and attracted to her. Krelman offers her flowers, and they begin to converse, but are interrupted by an Imperial announcement on the viewscreen; as part of their search for the Rebels, Tatooine is being placed under a curfew by the Empire. The Imperial agent orders everyone to return to their homes immediately. Ackmena is shocked and asks her customers to leave. When they all refuse, she suggests one more round of drinks for everyone, which she pays for herself. She then proceeds to usher them out by performing a song and dancing. Eventually, everyone leaves except for Krelman, who again offers her flowers.

After the video concludes, Lumpy's plan is set into motion. The Imperials repeatedly receive a call to "return to base." They decide to leave, but the commanding officer instructs one of the stormtroopers to remain behind. After the other Imperials depart, the stormtrooper continues to hear the radio call to "return to base." He immediately realizes that something is wrong because there are no more comlinks around. He determines that the sound is originating from Lumpy's room upstairs. He rushes upstairs, where he finds Lumpy speaking into the mini-transmitter that he had constructed earlier. The stormtrooper startles Lumpy, who jumps up. The stormtrooper grabs the box and smashes it on the ground. Lumpy runs down the stairs and out onto the deck, closely followed by the stormtrooper.

Lumpy and the stormtrooper arrive outside simultaneously, just as Chewbacca and Han approach the door. Chewbacca growls and circles around the stormtrooper to protect Lumpy. The stormtrooper aims his blaster at both of them. Stealthily, Han is backing against the wall, preparing to attack. The stormtrooper does not notice him, and Han sneaks up and strikes him. They prepare to fight, but Han suddenly trips the stormtrooper, who breaks the railing and emits the Wilhelm scream as he falls to his death into the trees below. Relieved, Han picks up Lumpy and hands him to his father.

They enter the house, where Malla and Itchy are waiting. Han explains that he has dealt with the threat. Chewbacca and Han embrace everyone. Malla asks Han to stay, but he replies that he must return to the Millennium Falcon before it is discovered. After saying his goodbyes, Han wishes everyone a happy Life Day and departs. The family then hears another knock at the door. With his bowcaster ready to fire, Chewbacca opens the door to find Saun Dann with a bag in his hand. The same Imperial officer as before appears on a viewscreen, searching for the missing stormtrooper B4711. Saun Dann responds to the request, claiming that B4711 was left behind by the other officers; after they had departed, B4711 had stolen a large quantity of food from his house and vanished without a trace. The story is convincing, and the officer states that he will dispatch a search party to locate the missing stormtrooper. The officer disappears from the viewscreen, to everyone's relief. Before he leaves, Saun Dann wishes the entire family a happy Life Day. The family then prepares to attend the festival at the Tree of Life. They each take a crystal and gather them together above their heads.

The entire family—along with many other Wookiees—are next in space, dressed in red robes, and are traveling toward a bright star. They arrive at the Tree of Life, where a group of Wookiees have gathered at the tree's base. Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 stand before the other Wookiees, and Luke, Leia, and Han soon join them. To commence the ceremony, Leia delivers a brief speech on the significance of Life Day and performs a song in celebration, set to the melody of the Star Wars theme. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Chewbacca recalls several of the group's adventures: when he first met Luke and Leia, when they all escaped the Death Star, when he played dejarik with R2-D2, and attending the award ceremony on Yavin 4 after he and Han had helped Luke destroy the Death Star. As he finishes reminiscing, the Wookiees begin to exit the ceremony.

That night, Chewbacca, Malla, Lumpy, and Itchy sit at the family table, where they bow their heads and prepare to partake in a Life Day meal.

Near the close of 1977, various variety show segments centered around Star Wars, such as those featured on Donny and Marie and The Richard Pryor Show, had significantly boosted ticket sales for the initial Star Wars film, which was still playing in theaters. In addition, Lucasfilm faced pressure from various licensees suggesting product ideas, among them CBS, who proposed a full-length variety program. In this environment, George Lucas became convinced that such a venture would maintain audience interest in the franchise until the premiere of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Charles Lippincott, the publicity director, stated to Vanity Fair in 2008, "Our goal was to distinguish ourselves from typical variety shows. We aimed to avoid the usual, predictable format."

Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion were appointed as producers. However, due to their commitments to other projects in development, they enlisted additional producers, including Ken and Mitzie Welch, to assist them. Writers Leonard Ripps and Pat Proft, both of whom had previously collaborated with Smith-Hemion, spent a day with Lucas. During this meeting, they jointly developed the story, which revolved around Chewbacca's efforts to return home to his family for the Wookiee holiday of Life Day. Lucas had once considered opening A New Hope with a scene inside a Wookiee home, where the film's narrative would be presented to a Wookiee child by its parents. He also contemplated creating films separate from the main saga, one of which would have focused on Wookiees. Lucas granted the team access to his extensive notes on Wookiee culture, which he had compiled for the original Star Wars movie.

David Acomba, the director, showed Lucas the 1976 Nelvana animated film A Cosmic Christmas. Impressed by Nelvana's animation style, Lucas requested their involvement in a segment for the special. Clive A. Smith conceived an eleven-minute story idea, which he presented to Lucas in early 1978. Lucas then collaborated with Smith to refine the story, which introduced the character Boba Fett, designed based on Joe Johnston's sketches and Ben Burtt's VHS costume test. Similar to Smith-Hemon, Lucas attended a few production meetings but was largely occupied with The Empire Strikes Back and other projects. In 2014, Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz reflected on the situation: "Initially, the project had potential for improvement [with a different script]. We participated in several meetings with the TV production company. Ultimately, due to our workload promoting Star Wars and developing the next film, we realized we lacked the time. Consequently, we entrusted the project to them, limiting our involvement to occasional meetings and providing access to props and actors."

Ripps and Proft composed an outline and initial script draft based on Lucas's notes. Given the show's target audience of families, they made an effort to minimize violence in the writing. The script was then passed on to Bruce Vilanch, who expressed uncertainty about writing for characters who do not use human language, fearing it would resemble "an extended episode of Lassie." To compensate, Vilanch contributed many of the variety elements to the special. (However, musical elements were always intended to be part of the story.) The character of Saun Dann was also created as a connection to the audience, drawing inspiration from Lucas's early concept of Lando Calrissian as a trader on Kashyyyk. Ken and Mitzie Welch, the final writers to contribute to the script, implemented significant changes. Lucas later remarked, "The script underwent continuous revisions, evolving into something quite peculiar. They aimed for one direction, while I had a different vision, resulting in a strange blend of both. I'm uncertain if either approach would have succeeded independently, but the combination…" The initial story treatment was finalized in May 1978, and the teleplay reached its fourth draft by the following September. The only known footage filmed but omitted from the final cut was an in-cartoon advertisement during the animated segment. However, a scene was planned, but never filmed, in which Luke Skywalker performs a song; Hamill asserts that he rejected the idea.

Stan Winston assisted Stuart Freeborn with the Wookiee costumes, enhancing the facial expressions of the masks. The actors wearing the Wookiee suits could only remain in them for 20 minutes at a time. Ben Burtt created the Wookiee family's sounds, requiring a full hour's worth of audio. To capture the sounds for Malla and Itchy, Burtt recorded at the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim, Washington, spending days attempting to elicit vocalizations from the animals. Malla's "voice" was based on recordings of black bears, while Itchy's was based on grizzly bears. One of these recordings, specifically a lion consuming a cow's head, was later utilized in the 1979 film Alien. For Lumpy's sounds, Burtt recorded a baby bear named Tarik at the San Jose Zoo. One of Chewbacca's vocalizations from the Holiday Special was subsequently reused in The Empire Strikes Back during the scene where Han Solo is encased in carbonite.

The R2-D2 model created for the special was a hollow shell operated via remote control. As Empire was still in production during the special's airing, George Lucas avoided incorporating any of the new alien designs from the upcoming film. Instead, costumes were retrieved from a warehouse containing rejected designs from the film to populate the special with a diverse array of aliens quickly and economically.

The sets were constructed on Stage 2 of the Burbank Studios. Early in pre-production, the special was considered as a potential pilot for a TV series. Consequently, the art department developed more elaborate designs than typically required for a TV special. Brian Bartholomew, the department head, believed the Wookiee household set (inspired by drawings by Ralph McQuarrie) was worthy of an Emmy award, but never requested Lucas to submit it for consideration.

Filming commenced in August 1978 under the direction of David Acomba, a friend of Lippincott and a fellow USC alumnus of Lucas. The special was primarily shot on videotape with a budget exceeding $1 million. Acomba directed three of the special's segments, including the cantina scene and the scene featuring Jefferson Starship. The cantina sequence required an entire day of filming, spanning from 6 a.m. one day to 6 a.m. the next. The costumed actors endured heat, claustrophobia, and, for some, limited oxygen intake. Daniel Saks, Bea Arthur's son, visited the set and observed "a nurse administering oxygen to the various aliens to prevent them from fainting." Rick Baker, who had worked on the original Star Wars, returned as the creature supervisor for the scene. While many of the cantina creatures were reused from Star Wars, "Lion Man" and "Baboon Man" were specifically created for the special. These two characters wore intricate makeup that took two and a half hours to apply. Harvey Korman reportedly entertained the cast and crew during his scenes, injecting humor into the set. Acomba suggested the then-unknown comedian Robin Williams for a role, but the Welches preferred to cast established stars. Cher was initially chosen to play Mermeia, but the role ultimately went to Diahann Carroll.

Acomba's lack of experience in television directing and his challenges in collaborating with Ken and Mitzie Welch led to his departure from the project midway through production. Compounding the issue, much of the budget had been depleted, and, according to Gary Smith, the production faced potential cancellation. As a result of these difficulties, production was halted to find a replacement director. Gary Smith then invited Steve Binder, a former colleague, to take over as director. Upon commencing shooting in September, Binder discovered a project that was behind schedule and over budget: "When I was brought in, production had already begun and been halted due to the depletion of the budget, with only a quarter of the show filmed. I essentially came in as a troubleshooter. I received the script on a Friday and began shooting on a Monday. Upon reviewing the script, I noticed that the first 10 minutes with the Chewbacca family were entirely subtitled. I thought, 'Uh-oh, this is going to be problematic.' However, I had no authority to make any changes at that point; I simply had to proceed with the shooting." Lucas provided Binder with a "Wookiee bible," containing all the information he had developed about the species.

While Acomba had primarily managed the variety segments, Binder became more involved with the scenes in the Wookiee household, as well as all the scenes featuring the original cast, many of whom were reluctant to participate. The Wookiee household was initially constructed as a complete set. Upon Binder's hiring, he removed a portion of the set in an effort to expedite production. Similar to the actors in the cantina sequence, those in Wookiee suits were required to take hourly breaks for oxygen. Patty Maloney, the actress portraying Lumpy, experienced significant weight loss due to her heavy costume and the heat. The concluding celebration was filmed in an aircraft hangar. By that stage of production, the project had exhausted its funds. Consequently, the crew resorted to relatively inexpensive materials to create the Life Day ceremony. Store-bought candles were used for lighting, and extras wore red robes and Don Post Studios Chewbacca masks in place of full Wookiee costumes. According to Vilanch, Fisher was enthusiastic about singing for this scene because "She was in her Joni Mitchell phase. She was eager to showcase this aspect of her talent." After more than a month of shooting, the production finally concluded. Binder stated that he was unable to edit the film (unlike his other productions) due to a scheduling conflict. Consequently, the special was edited by the producers, who lacked prior editing experience.

The Holiday Special was broadcast in the United States on November 17, 1978, drawing an audience of approximately 13 million viewers. It was the second most-watched program of the evening, surpassed only by the ABC series The Love Boat and the miniseries Pearl. The original airing coincided with significant news events, including the sentencing of CIA operative William Kampiles for the theft and sale of a United States KH-11 spy satellite manual to the Soviet Union, and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's admission of violating a nuclear test ban treaty. As a result, commercial breaks during the special featured news coverage of these events. Prior to its premiere, the special was promoted through various media outlets, including commercials on CBS, advertisements in TV Guide and the Los Angeles Times, and an appearance by Anthony Daniels on Captain Cosmic.

On May 31, 1979, it was broadcast on Swedish TV station SVT under the title Stjärnornas krig - och fred, which translates to "Star Wars - and Peace," a play on the Swedish title of the original film.

To promote the special before it aired, a press kit was distributed. Jefferson Starship released "Light the Sky on Fire" as a single, advertising its inclusion in the "CBS-Star Wars Holiday Special." Kenner had plans to produce action figures inspired by the special, but these never progressed beyond the prototype phase. A mail-away Boba Fett action figure from that year contained an insert mentioning the upcoming special as "A Wookie Holiday." In 2001, Hasbro released the first official figure based on the special, depicting the cantina alien Zutton. In 1979, Random House published The Wookiee Storybook, a children's book featuring characters from the special.

Numerous items have been created that are based on Boba Fett's appearance in the special. In 1996, Lucasfilm released animation cels that combined original cels with newly created artwork. As part of its 30th anniversary collection, Hasbro produced a Boba Fett action figure. Funko released bobbleheads. StarWarsShop offered a Gentle Giant maquette as a Celebration exclusive, along with an ACME character key. In 2018, Gentle Giant created a mini-bust, while Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys released a sixth-scale figure. A lunchbox exclusive was made for Celebration Chicago. A Black Series figure was available at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.

The stores at Celebration IV and Celebration Europe sold a 4" × 2" luggage tag with an image from the Holiday Special's cantina scene for $5. Several cards in Topps' 2007 Star Wars collection incorporated elements from the special. The 2007 book The Star Wars Vault included the complete audio of Princess Leia's Life Day song, "A Day to Celebrate," as well as roughly two pages from the script.

George Lucas told Starlog magazine at the 1987 Star Wars 10th anniversary convention that he anticipated a VHS release of the Holiday Special in the future. However, Lucasfilm has not released the full Holiday Special on any home video format, and Stephen J. Sansweet, former director of fan relations at Lucasfilm, stated that a release is not planned. In a 2004 Q&A session with the Washington Post, Star Wars DVD producer Van Ling was asked about a possible DVD release of the special. He responded, "I seriously doubt it, given that it has never even been shown again after its initial broadcast, let alone released on home video… but as I always say, never say never." Kevin Burns, a filmmaker, was granted access to the original print for his documentary Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, but the segment featuring footage from the special was ultimately omitted. A picture of Bea Arthur as Ackmena appeared among behind-the-scenes images in the 1993 laserdisc "definitive" box set of the original trilogy. This set also featured a tour of the Lucasfilm Archives, hosted by Don Bies, in which the Lumpy mask was displayed. A few seconds from the Boba Fett animated segment were included in the 2002 Attack of the Clones web documentary "Bucket Head." The complete animated segment was included on the 2011 Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray release, found in the The Empire Strikes Back section of the Episodes IV–VI bonus material disc. It was also added to Disney+ on April 2, 2021, under the title "The Story of the Faithful Wookiee".

Viewers who recorded the original broadcast began making copies and selling bootleg VHS and DVD versions at conventions. Despite, or perhaps because of, its negative reception, it gained a cult following among Star Wars fans. With the advent of the Internet and file-sharing, the special became more accessible to curious viewers. One such recording, from a WBBM-TV broadcast, is available in its entirety on the website of the Museum of Classic Chicago Television. A widely circulated recording is from the WCBS-TV (channel 2) broadcast in New York City, which includes a bumper during commercial breaks advertising the station's 11 p.m. newscast, featuring news anchor Rolland Smith saying, "Fighting the frizzies, at 11." (Other versions, taped from CBS affiliates like WMAR-TV in Baltimore, lack this reference, while others have had commercials removed.) This is parodied in the South Park episode "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" from 1999. Another episode, "Freak Strike" (2002), similarly spoofed the commercial for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.

A newly discovered bootleg of the Swedish version was partially released on YouTube on Christmas Day 2021 by the Swedish YouTube channel, Herring & Chips.

The cast and crew have generally given negative feedback. The official Star Wars website acknowledges "mixed results," but highlights the Boba Fett animated segment as a positive aspect. In 1998, writer Leonard Ripps told Filmfax magazine, "To me, it didn't come together. The ideas were all right but I'm not sure that they belonged in the same room." Harrison Ford appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 8, 2006. During the interview, Conan O'Brien brought up the special and asked Ford about it, including whether he remembered making it. Ford did not respond and looked away, prompting laughter and applause from the audience. O'Brien then asked if he could play a clip, to which Ford pretended to strangle O'Brien before agreeing. After the clip (showing Ford as Han Solo telling Chewbacca and his wife they are "like family"), Ford, embarrassed, simply said "thank you." Carrie Fisher has joked that she requested a copy of the special from Lucas in exchange for recording audio commentary for the 2004 DVD release of the original trilogy, "so that I could, you know, have something for parties... when I wanted everyone to leave."

In May 2002, Lucas told Maxim: "That's one of those things that happened, and I just have to live with it." In a 2005 interview, he elaborated: "The special from 1978 really didn't have much to do with us, you know. I can't remember what network it was on, but it was a thing that they did. We kind of let them do it. It was done by… I can't even remember who the group was, but they were variety TV guys. We let them use the characters and stuff and that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but you learn from those experiences." Steve Binder, the director, told Esquire in 2013: "I have never regretted for one second my decision to direct the television special. I loved every minute on the set and loved coming to the studio every day. I gave it my all and have never worried about the day-after or pro or con critics' 'opinions.' To me, 'opinions' are all subjective anyway." Leland Chee of the Lucasfilm Story Group remarked in 2024 that the special was "a slog" and sometimes "cringy," explaining why it had not been officially rebroadcast. He suggested the 2023 documentary A Disturbance in the Force to fans wanting to learn more about its history.

The Star Wars Holiday Special was ranked third in "The Five Goofiest Moments Of The Star Wars Mythos" in the UK's Star Wars Magazine 62.

Before the Lucasfilm Story Group was established, the special was categorized as S-canon. The art department for Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith used the Holiday Special as a reference for designing the planet Kashyyyk's appearance in the film. In Star Wars: Clone Wars, C-3PO was animated in a style that was an homage to the animation of Nelvana's segment from the special. In a commercial for the 2007 Robot Chicken: Star Wars, an animated George Lucas (voiced by Lucas himself) is shown in therapy, expressing his hatred for the special. Brendan Hay, a writer for Star Wars Detours, stated that Lucas later screened the Holiday Special for the show's writing staff. Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III includes a skit reminiscent of the Holiday Special, where Han Solo and Chewbacca visit Chewbacca's family on Kashyyyk. "Menace of the Sith," the second episode of LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles, features a similar scene with Cad Bane interrupting Chewbacca's family under a banner that reads "Happy Life Day." For "The Mandalore Plot," a 2010 episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the helmets of the Death Watch members were based on Boba Fett's helmet design from the Holiday Special and the Droids animated series. The script for Solo: A Star Wars Story contained a reference to Itchy, spoken by Chewbacca in Shyriiwook. According to writer Jon Kasdan, he attempted to include more references in the film. Similarly, the Disney+ series The Mandalorian drew inspiration from the special. Good Morning America aired a clip of the animated segment while interviewing showrunner Jon Favreau about this. In late 2019, Favreau even expressed interest in creating another Holiday Special. The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special premiered on Disney+ on November 17, 2020, featuring a Life Day celebration with characters from the sequel trilogy and elements inspired by the original special.

During the week of November 17, 2008, StarWars.com commemorated the Holiday Special's 30th anniversary with articles and trading cards for StarWarsShop customers. These included interviews, photo galleries, and an animation animatic. The Los Angeles Times and NBC also published articles about the anniversary. The Paley Center conducted a poll from November 10 to December 3, to determine the top five holiday specials to be screened at the center between December 10 and 24. The Star Wars Holiday Special won with 59% of the vote. (The full special—from a WBBM-TV broadcast—can be viewed at the Museum of Classic Chicago Television at www.fuzzymemories.tv.) On December 10, 2007, RiffTrax, a humor website, released an audio commentary for the special by former MST3K stars Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy. On December 20, 2007, ABC's Nightline covered the special both on television and on its website. The special's 40th anniversary was also highlighted by StarWars.com and numerous news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and USA Today.

The special was screened at the Library of Congress in the 1990s. It was mentioned in the 2005 ABC Family movie Chasing Christmas. In "Weird Al" Yankovic's 2006 music video for "White & Nerdy" (a parody of "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire), Al, dressed as a nerd, pays a "gangster" for a paper bag that appears to contain drugs. Yankovic opens the bag to reveal a videotape of the special. In 2011, the TV series Glee paid tribute to the Holiday Special in the episode "Extraordinary Merry Christmas." The 2012 Futurama episode "Zapp Dingbat" featured a sequence that parodied the holographic dancing scene. A 2014 episode of The Simpsons titled "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" opens with characters watching the Cosmic Wars Holiday Special. In December 2015, Funny or Die released a "new" Holiday Special based on The Force Awakens. Around the same time, the cast and crew of The Force Awakens were interviewed about the Holiday Special. On May 26, 2016, Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead parodied the Holiday Special in NBC's "The Red Nose Day Special." Episodes of The Goldbergs (2016), Supergirl (2017), and The Big Bang Theory (2018) also included references to the special. On December 14, 2018, "Special" premiered at the Theatre of NOTE in Los Angeles, a play loosely inspired by the real-life production of the special. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special debuted on Disney+ on November 25, 2022. Writer/director James Gunn stated that he was inspired by the Star Wars Holiday Special, which he genuinely enjoyed as a child.

In 2023, the creators of Fanboys created a feature-length documentary about the special, called A Disturbance in the Force. A book of the same name, written by one of the film's co-directors, preceded the film and also covers the special. For their 2024 series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, creators Christopher Ford and Jon Watts invested significant effort in recreating the holographic chess scene. They had initially hoped to use original footage, but found it unusable due to its low resolution and their need for multiple angles. As a result, they decided to reconstruct the scene. Louise Mingenbach used original artwork from Skywalker Ranch to recreate the costumes. Stunt coordinator Colin Follenweider, a former Cirque du Soleil dancer, choreographed the scene and hired a dance team. However, the segment's original music track was also unavailable in a suitable form, as was any documentation of the music. Composer Michael Giacchino was thus tasked with receating the piece for an orchestra.