What is a Glitter Leia and Why Should They Be Respected?

So recently I was at GalaxyCon in Austin and had a very fun time, minus the two hour wait to get inside because it was hot. After spending seven hours standing in lines and getting things signed for my cousin we decided to leave and go back to the hotel but one glittery goddess caught our eye.

I stumbled upon a woman dressed in all white with the very iconic space buns hairstyle putting glitter on a girl. I was intrigued as to what the glitter was for, maybe a cosplay of some sort, so I decided to wait and ask what was going on. The woman is question is what is known as a glitter Leia. Sounds like some cool mystical person, which it kind of is, but glitter Leia's are actually normal people that bestow the gift of glitter to people at Cons.

Glitter Leia's came to be after passing of Carrie Fisher, the original Princess Leia, in 2016 due to a story that became popular on Tumblr from Imgur. That story states that while a worker at one of the Cons was talking with someone who was escorting Carrie Fisher around the actress said nothing and instead bestowed some glitter to that employees cheeks and went on her way. This story brought in people who had been glitter bombed by Fisher before her passing, bonding them together and realizing that this was a common thing that happened.

The glitter Leia's took up the mantle of glitter bombing (they do ask nicely) people at Cons and seeing if they would like a little bit of Carrie Fisher magic. So next time you go to a Con and see someone dressed up as Princess Leia offering free glitter just know it's an act of remembrance.