# ok aussies whats national sorry day ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619 "2017-05-15T01:09:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/1 "2017-05-15T01:09:57Z")
Ok we have a calendar from the dollar store that the little rodents had to have because its pics of puppies and kittens playing together But since its an “international” calendar it has american Mexican and british and even Canadian and aussie holidays And coming up this Friday is "national sorry day " now I doubt its a day off to sit and play the board game “sorry” (as my nephew suggested hopefully ) So what is it for ? ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/2 "2017-05-15T01:16:54Z")
I Googled it for you. [National Sorry Day - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Sorry_Day) I’m Australian, but Wiki says it better than I could. I was very moved on the first Sorry day. I went to the city hall of my small town and watched the ceremony. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/3 "2017-05-15T11:11:58Z")
I would have simply assumed Aussies went around apologising to each other. \*\*“Mate, I kept your pen three years ago. Srry.” \*\* _“I may have got a little tipsy last night. Srry.”_ _“I went a little too far, and defamed the minister by an inadvertent suggestion he did something that I know he would find impossible. Srry.”_ ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/4 "2017-05-15T13:18:02Z")
I presume that, being Australian, they also have a “Fuck You” day. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/5 "2017-05-15T14:07:35Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I presume that, being Australian, they also have a “Fuck You” day. 🙂 It would be election day to anybody else. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/6 "2017-05-15T14:17:07Z")
What a pleasant OP, and thread… ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/7 "2017-05-15T14:37:54Z")
You call that an apology? _This_ is an apology! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/8 "2017-05-15T15:04:29Z")
In Canada, every day is “sorry” day. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/9 "2017-05-15T16:43:15Z")
As you might imagine, Sorry Day is somewhat politically charged. However, in general it has garnered a lot of popular support. The OP’s question immediately brought to mind this video. For the viewers outside the country it conveys a few things. It is a snippet from a TV series that spoofed the build up to Australia’s hosting of the 2000 Olympic games. The star of that show, John Clarke, sadly died a few weeks ago, and the show has had a revival. He was something of a national treasure. But the clip sums up a lot. You do need to watch to the end. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Dh0MNIFezME/hqdefault.jpg "The Games - Sorry") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh0MNIFezME) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/10 "2017-05-15T19:12:49Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > What a pleasant OP, and thread… I should have added “except for the reality of the cause of the query,” which is not exactly pleasant at all. ---
**Author:** ![I\_wasn\_t\_truly\_absent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4da419/32.png) [@I\_wasn\_t\_truly\_absent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_wasn_t_truly_absent)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/11 "2017-05-16T01:32:14Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > In Canada, every day is “sorry” day. is that really a thing? I’m Irish and noticed I did it when I saw some jokey reference on some rubbish I was watching. I try not to now, so instead, I try to say thanks too much sometimes to see if anyone notices. Thrills! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/12 "2017-05-16T02:30:29Z")
> [@I\_wasn\_t\_truly\_absent](#): > > is that really a thing? I’m Irish and noticed I did it when I saw some jokey reference on some rubbish I was watching. I try not to now, so instead, I try to say thanks too much sometimes to see if anyone notices. Thrills! It’s a joke aimed at Canadians but one they buy into themselves. The fantastic Canadian television series [Slings & Arrows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slings_%26_Arrows) (seriously: it’s in my top five of all dramatic series of all time) has the actors say “sorry” every other sentence. Don’t try it as a drinking game. You will die. ---
**Author:** ![Pilgrim\_Shadow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Pilgrim\_Shadow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pilgrim_Shadow)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/13 "2017-05-16T02:34:23Z")
Looks like we wiped out your culture. Sorry, mate! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/14 "2017-05-16T03:03:52Z")
> [@Pilgrim\_Shadow](#): > > Looks like we wiped out your culture. Sorry, mate! > :dubious: Chocolates and a gift voucher didn’t seem to strike the right note. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/15 "2017-05-16T04:00:24Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > You do need to watch to the end. Unless, of course, you’re Australian and know your John Howards already… (on second thoughts - naah, it’s The Games, WATCH IT! Watch it ALL!!) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/16 "2017-05-16T04:07:34Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > You call that an apology? _This_ is an apology! That’s not an apology, that’s a spoon. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/17 "2017-05-16T04:18:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > That’s not an apology, that’s a spoon. You called? By the way, sorry I’m late. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-aussies-whats-national-sorry-day/786619/18 "2017-05-16T04:29:54Z")
I think it says something about the character of Australia as a nation that, however much the government itself may have struggled against the notion initially, the people had the stones to step forward and apologize. One of the things I’ve learned for sure in life is that it’s hella hard to apologize, even more so when the wrong is egregious; and I admire those who do so. (all the better not to screw up in the first place, but one doesn’t always have control over that.)