Constitution Day (Denmark)
| Grundlovsdag | |
|---|---|
 Constitution Day celebrations in Frederiksberg Gardens. Drawn by Erik Henningsen, 1882. | |
| Also called | Constitution Day |
| Observed by | Danes |
| Type | National |
| Significance | Anniversary of the Danish constitution |
| Celebrations | Speeches by politicians |
| Date | 5 June |
| Next time | 5 June 2024 |
| Frequency | annual |
Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag) is observed in Denmark on 5 June.[1][2] The day honors the Constitution of Denmark, as both the first constitution of 1849 and the current constitution of 1953 were signed on this date of their respective years.[3] Denmark is one of only a handful countries in the world not to have an official national day, but Constitution Day is sometimes considered the equivalent of such a day. It is also widely considered to be a day for celebrating Danish democracy.
Though it has never been an official national holiday, Constitution Day was a half-day off work from 1891 until 1975. Since then, collective labor agreements have usually given workers a half-day or the whole day off on Constitution Day.[4] Stores with an annual turnover of at most 41.4 million kroner can stay open on Constitution Day, but most stores must keep closed.[5]
The day is widely celebrated throughout Denmark with church congregations, associations and political organizations meeting for what are essentially "secular services".[3] These services include the raising of the Dannebrog (the Danish flag), a short speech by a local politician or celebrity, and collective singing (Danish: fællessang).
The date[edit]
Following the Danish Constituent Assembly of 1848 and 1849, the first constitution (which established Denmark as a constitutional monarchy) was signed by King Frederick VII on 5 June 1849. The constitution was completely rewritten in 1866, 1915 (when women's suffrage was introduced), and most recently in 1953, the latter two rewritings also on 5 June.[6]
5 June is also Father's Day in Denmark.[3][7] It was introduced in 1935, and until 1956 it fell on the second Sunday of November. Father's Day was later moved to its current date since Constitution Day was a half-day off work.[8]
See also[edit]
- 2019 Danish general election – on 5 June 2019
- International Workers' Day in Denmark – on 1 May, which is also celebrated with gatherings and political speeches
- Public holidays in Denmark
- Valdemarsdag – on 15 June, another day often considered to be Denmark's national day
References[edit]
- ^ National Days Archived 5 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine – um.dk, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ^ Constitution Day in Denmark (a letter from US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on behalf of US President Barack Obama, to the Danish people) – US Department of State – state.gov. Retrieved 6 February 2012
- ^ a b c Constitution Day Archived 7 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Denmark.dk, the official website of Denmark. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ^ "Er Grundlovsdag en fridag?" (in Danish).
- ^ "Lukkeloven" (in Danish).
- ^ Jayasinghe, Anita May. "The Constitutional Act of Denmark". The Danish Parliament. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Fars Dag" (in Danish). Dansk Historisk Fællesråd. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ historie-online.dk: Fars Dag, historien bag og kvinden, som opfandt dagen (in Danish)