Jediism facts for kids

Jediism (also called Jedism) is a way of thinking and living. It's like a philosophy or a set of beliefs. It's mostly inspired by the Jedi characters from the Star Wars movies and shows.

Jediism became well-known in 2001. This happened when many people wrote "Jedi" as their religion on official government surveys called censuses.

Jediism gets its ideas from parts of Star Wars, especially the fictional Jedi religion. Some of the first websites about creating a belief system from Star Wars were "The Jedi Religion and regulations" and "Jediism". These sites used the Jedi Code, which has 21 rules, as a starting point for a "real Jedi" belief system. The real-world Jediism movement doesn't have one main leader or a central organization.

What Do Jediists Believe?

Followers of Jediism know that Star Wars influenced their beliefs. They try to live by the good and spiritual rules shown by the fictional Jedi. However, they also say their path is different from the movie characters. Jediism doesn't focus on the myths and stories found in Star Wars.

While teachings can vary a bit, the Jedi of the Temple of the Jedi Order follow "16 teachings." These are based on how the fictional Jedi are shown. For example, "Jedi are mindful of the negative emotions which lead to the Dark Side." Another teaching is, "Jedi are guardians of peace and justice." People who follow Jediism also try to live by "21 maxims" (rules or sayings).

The "Jedi Census" Event

Jediism got a lot of attention from news reporters because of a worldwide email campaign in 2001. This campaign asked people to write "Jedi" as their religion on their country's census. This event is known as the Jedi census phenomenon. Most people who wrote "Jedi" probably did it as a joke.

Is Jediism a Real Religion?

Governments and organizations have different ideas about whether Jediism is a real religion.

In the United States

In 2005, a group called the Temple of the Jedi Order was officially registered in Texas. In 2015, the IRS (the tax agency) said it didn't have to pay taxes. This is a special status given to many religious groups.

In the United Kingdom

In 2007, a 23-year-old named Daniel Jones started The Church of Jediism with his brother. He thought the 2001 UK census meant Jediism was a recognized religion. He also believed there were "more Jedi than Scientologists in Britain."

In 2009, Jones was asked to leave a Tesco supermarket in Bangor, North Wales. He refused to take off his hood, saying it was for religious reasons. The store owner said, "Jedis are very welcome to shop in our stores. But we would ask them to remove their hoods. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Luke Skywalker all appeared hoodless without ever going over to the Dark Side. We only know of the Emperor as one who never removed his hood."

In 2016, a group called the Charity Commission for England and Wales looked at an application from The Temple of the Jedi Order. The Temple wanted to be recognized as a charity. But the Commission said no. They ruled that the group did not "promote moral or ethical improvement" in a way that fit charity law.

In Turkey

In April 2015, students at Dokuz Eylül University in Turkey started an online petition. They asked for a Jedi temple to be built on their campus. This petition was a response to an earlier petition. That one asked for a mosque to be built at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ). The mosque petition got many signatures. Soon after, students at other universities started petitions asking for Jedi and Buddhist temples on their campuses.