First Contact Day

Vulcan: Live long and prosper.
Dr. Zefram Cochrane: Thanks.

Star Trek: First Contact

Are you one of those people who is considered to be a real, committed Trekkie? Did you spend your youth trying to Vulcan Nerve Pinch those problems away? Is there a regulation StarFleet uniform in the closet and is speaking Klingon as a second language a lifelong pursuit?

Then it’s time to get that uniform on and prepare to celebrate First Contact! First Contact Day is celebrated by fans everywhere. Even those people who don’t know Zefram Cochrane from Zac Efron are still absolutely welcome to join in!

First Contact Day is a great time to learn more about the entire Star Trek franchise and what it has meant to Science Fiction fans over the years.

History of First Contact Day

There is one day in the history of mankind in the Star Trek universe that stands out above all others, even though it’s only celebrated as a relatively minor holiday. It is none other than First Contact Day.

According to Star Trek “history”, on that day in 2063, Zefram Cochrane first took a flight at speeds in excess of Warp 1 in the Phoenix, alerting the Vulcan race to their entrance into the interstellar community and initiating the first contact. Some 300 years later it was commemorated as First Contact Day, and the celebration went on from there. Star Trek: First Contact Day commemorates this particular day in real life, in earth time, and fans all over the world have the opportunity to get together to celebrate the most pivotal moment in Star Trek human history!

First Contact is an important part of the introduction of a species into the galactic community and is handled very carefully by the extant species of StarFleet. Generally speaking, it has been found to be beneficial to privately approach the scientists and other intellectuals of the target species with the belief that they’ll be ready to accept the existence of off-world species. The approach is generally timed for when the species is about to enter the galactic community by engaging in their first faster-than-light travel.

From that point, the new species receives an explanation about what the universe outside their solar system is like and then are welcomed in. It’s a bit of a complicated process but it’s ultimately effective in solving a lot of problems in the universe.

So why does First Contact Day happen on April 5th? It seems that the show’s co-creator, Ronald D. Moore, chose the day because it is his eldest son’s birthday. That sounds like another great reason to celebrate!

How to Celebrate First Contact Day

Celebrating this pivotal moment in all of human history is no small feat! Especially since the day hasn’t technically happened yet. It will happen in the future–in 2063.

Join in on these fun activities for honoring the day, or come up with some other creative Trekkie ideas:

Watch Star Trek Shows and Films

The first step to celebrating this day is getting out Star Trek: First Contact and giving it a fresh watch. This 1996 film was the 8th in the Star Trek film series, and the second to star the beloved cast from the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

But watching this one film can be just the beginning because the shows and movies have come and gone since the 1960s, so the options for watching are probably just about endless. To get some background information particularly on First Contact Day, it might be helpful to watch the original Star Trek series episode, Metamorphosis, in which the crew meets a very young Zefram Cochrane.

Host a Star Trek: First Contact Party

One great idea is to have a Star Trek: First Contact Day celebration like they do in Star Trek! Just get together with various Trekkie friends, preferably dressed in uniform, and bring out Zefram Cochrane’s favorite foods such as cheeses and cheese pierogi. Don’t forget to play some old style rock and roll on the radio and party like it’s 2063!

That’s the beginning of a fantastic celebration, and since everyone is already together, it would be a great time to go ahead and run a complete marathon of all the movies!

Create a Star Trek Playlist

Space themed music is so next year! While hosting that party, some excellent tunes (including some oldies that Zefram Cochrane loved!) will be necessary to get everyone grooving. Try these songs out on a playlist:

• Magic Carpet Ride (1968) Steppenwolf
• Ooby Dooby (1961) Roy Orbison
• Star Trekkin’ (1987) The Firm
• The Picard Song (2001) Dark Materia
• Space Song (2015) Beach House
• Intergalactic (1998) Beastie Boys
• Mr. Spock’s Brain (1993) S.P.O.C.K.

Enjoy Some Whiskey in Honor of Dr. Cochrane

Whether at a full party or with just a few friends, celebrating First Contact Day should honor Zefram Cochrane, and he did love his whiskey! In fact, he claims he has a hangover from whiskey just before using his rocket, Phoenix, to become the first ever human to break warp speed. And this paved the way to the development of the United Federation of Planets. So that’s surely something worth toasting!

Check Out the Star Trek Website

To learn more about First Contact Day and the entire Star Trek franchise, take a little peek at the website. This online resource offers all kinds of background information for fans and novices to go one step further, and maybe even — “to go boldly where no man has gone before”!