There’s Nothing Like a Dame Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

There’s Nothing Like a Dame Day is celebrated on April 17. The day was created to honor the women of the theater and films. The idea was further popularized when veteran actresses Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith came together for the documentary “There’s Nothing Like a Dame.” We are here to show you how you can celebrate the day in the best way possible and tell you how the term ‘Dame’ has changed over the years. It went from being a female ruler to something that referred to all women. In the U.K., a Dame is a woman who has been honored for her work for a long time.

The background of There’s Nothing Like a Dame Day

In the fourteenth century, the title ‘Dame’ was a sign of honor to women. In places like the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, ‘Dame’ was the feminine counterpart of ‘Sir,’ which was for men. The chivalric order, ‘The Order of Ermine,’ was the first to recognize women. There were many notable women knights throughout the Middle Ages. Previously, the term ‘Dame’ referred to the wife of a knight. In the seventeenth century, it was replaced by ‘Lady.’ In the twentieth century, the term ‘dame’ referred to all women. In 1932, the film “Dames,” a musical comedy, was released. It had many popular dance numbers like “The Girl at the Ironing Board” and “Try to See It My Way.” In 1949, “South Pacific,” a musical, came out. It featured the song “There’s Nothing Like a Dame,” in which seven sailors sang, longing for women in their lives.

In 2018, British theater and television director Roger Michell made the film documentary “Nothing Like a Dame Day,” which starred actresses of yesteryears like Judy Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith. The documentary shed light on these women’s lives and how theater and cinema changed over the years. In the U.S., the documentary went by “Tea With The Dames.”

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THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A DAME DAY ACTIVITIES

Show some love to the Dames in your life

Show some love to the women in your life. Let them know that you appreciate what they do and are grateful for them being in your life.

Share the information on social media

Let everyone know the importance of this day. Write articles on ‘There’s Nothing Like a Dame Day’ and share them on social media.

Watch a Dame documentary

Watch the documentary “Nothing Like a Dame” or “Tea With the Dames.” Take a peek into the lives of actresses from a forgotten era.

5 FACTS ABOUT DAME JUDY DENCH

As a child, Dench debuted as a snail in a play.

Dench has the prefix ‘Dame’ to her name and prefers people to refer to her like that.

Dench played the iconic character of M in the James Bond movies.

The 81-year-old has a ‘Carpe Diem’ tattoo on her wrists.

Dench won the Oscar for the movie “Shakespeare in Love” in 1998.

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A DAME DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	April 17	Monday
2024	April 17	Wednesday
2025	April 17	Thursday
2026	April 17	Friday
2027	April 17	Saturday