One Day on Netflix: The Meaning of July 15th in Emma and Dex’s Relationship Explained

Warning, spoilers. It is recommended to watch the series for one day before continuing reading this article.

It’s the number 1 series on Netflix right now: One Day is the platform’s latest success. Adapted from the worldwide bestseller by David Nicholls, this British series follows the friendship and love story of Emma Morley (Ambika Modi) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) over fourteen episodes and two decades.

They met for the first time on July 15, 1988, on the evening of their graduation, and we meet them every year on the same day to observe their development, their journey, their joys and sorrows. Why is this date of July 15 so important?

Why is July 15th an important day?

First of all, the date July 15th is not an insignificant choice for Emma and Dexter’s story, as it is the date of their meeting, their first exchange, and their first night together. This marks the beginning of their friendship that will turn into love over the years.

Dexter and Emma are forever bound by the oddities of life and the symbolic date of July 15th, which is Saint-Sweetin’s Day. This festival is linked from British folklore to the Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester and patron saint of Winchester Cathedral in the 9th century.

In addition to his religious activities, he was especially known for his miraculous abilities. According to popular belief, if it rains on St. Swithin’s Bridge in Winchester on her feast day, July 15, it will last forty days. Conversely, if it is sunny, forty days of good weather will follow.

Thus, the notion of past and present weather tied to this date of July 15, for better or worse, is a major plot element in Emma and Dex’s story. Each July 15th will mark a significant turning point in the evolution of their story over two decades.

Finally, July 15 also marks the brutal end of their story, on July 15, 2002, when Emma was hit by a driver. But the date then becomes a sign of Dex’s resilience as he tries to get better every year after losing the love of his life, commemorating the man he always loved on the same day every year.

The series One Day is available on Netflix.