Live Long and Prosper Day Date in the current year: March 26, 2024

The original Star Trek series, created by long-time science fiction fan Gene Roddenberry, premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966. It followed the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise of the United Federation of Planets and its crew, led by Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner), First Officer Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), and Chief Medical Officer Leonard “Bones” McCoy (played by DeForest Kelley).

What set Spock apart from the other two central characters (and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew) was his heritage: Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson, was a human, while his father, Sarek, was a Vulcan. In the Star Trek universe, Vulcans are humanoid species from the planet Vulcan noted for their pointed ears and pronounced eyebrows, as well as for their attempt to suppress emotions and live by logic and reason. Spock’s mixed heritage was an important part of his character arc and a major plot point in some episodes.

One of the aspects of Vulcans that has entered the popular culture is the Vulcan salute. It is a hand gesture consisting of a raised hand with the palm forward, the thumb extended, and the fingers parted between the ring and middle finger. The gesture is frequently accompanied by the blessing phrase “Live long and prosper”. An appropriate reply would be to return the gesture and say “Peace and long life”, although simply saying back “Live long and prosper” is also acceptable.

The gesture was devised by Leonard Nimoy himself, who based it on the Priestly Blessing performed by the Hebrew priests (Kohanim). Nimoy, who was Jewish, first saw the blessing in an Orthodox synagogue where his grandfather took him as a child, and was very impressed by it. The accompanying blessing, “Live long and prosper”, was coined by screenwriter Theodore Sturgeon. It is often abbreviated “LLAP”.

The Vulcan salute first appeared in “Amok Time”, the second season premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series. Since then, it has become firmly associated with the character of Spock and Vulcans in general, as well as with the entire Star Trek franchise. The gesture became so popular that in 2014 a Vulcan salute emoji was added to The Unicode Standard.

Live Long and Prosper Day was created by Matt McCarthy to celebrate the Star Trek franchise and the legacy of Leonard Nimoy. The idea behind the holiday is to encourage people to focus on things that may help them to live long and prosper, and the best way to celebrate it is to do something that makes you happier and healthier, be it eating fruit and vegetables, resolving to break bad habits, reading a book, or rewatching your favorite Star Trek episodes or movies. And don’t forget to pay tribute to Nimoy and spread the word about the holiday by posting on social media with the hashtags #LLAPDay, #LLAP, and #LiveLongAndProsper.