Jedi census phenomenon

Common card · No. 493605

The Jedi census phenomenon was an urban legend which circulated in 2001 in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, claiming those who lised Jedi (or "Jedi Knight") as their religion as part of a national census would obtain some level of legal recognition for following the quasi-religious principles of Jedi from Star Wars fictional media. The chain email asserted any religion passing a minimum threshold (given variously as 8,000 or 10,000) would be entitled to some form of official recognition. Other reasons proffered include "do it because you love Star Wars" or "just to annoy people". The 2001 censuses recorded Jedi as the religion for 1.5% of New Zealanders, 0.37% of Australians, and 0.8% of Britons. In some cases, any "Jedi" responses to questions of religious affiliation are collected under "other" rather than reported separately. While a few individuals claim to practise Jediism sincerely, the answer can also be a joke or a protest against the question. While giving false...

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