[Sunday, 17 September 2023] location : globe
Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, is held on September 17 every year. It is a federal holiday, but not a government observance. Businesses operate on standard business hours.
If Constitution Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, schools, government agencies, and other organisations observe it the next weekday.
Why Is It Noticed?
Constitution Day honours the day on September 17, 1787, when the United States Constitution was drafted and signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The United States Constitution is the world’s oldest and is regarded as one of America’s most essential texts. It describes the government’s framework. It safeguards the rights and liberties of the people it serves and guarantees that future generations will benefit as well.
History of Constitution Day
Iowa was the first state to mark September 17 in 1911. It was acknowledged in public schools. The notion wowed the hereditary society, The Sons of the Revolution. In 1917, they organised a committee to promote the festival. By 1949, all 48 governors had issued proclamations commemorating the day.
Later, one enthusiastic resident, Olga T Weber, petitioned for the day to be commemorated in honour of the Constitution in Louisville, Ohio. The Mayor accepted her wish, designating September 17, 1952, as Louisville’s inaugural Constitution Day. Weber did not stop there, petitioning for it to be commemorated statewide, then nationally. She was successful, and President Eisenhower signed it into law in 1953. Louisville was dubbed “Constitution Town” in 1957.
Louise Leigh took a Constitution course, which increased her respect for it and encouraged her to do something to memorialise it. Constitution Day, Inc., a non-profit organisation, was founded by her in 1997. Senator Robert Byrd, who wanted all residents to know more about the day and their rights, backed her up, saying that “our principles of freedom, laid down and fulfilled in our Constitution, are our greatest export to the world.” Because to his efforts, the “Constitution Day” amendment was included in the Omnibus Spending Bill, which President Bush signed in December 2004. The country’s first nationally recognised Constitution Day was September 17, 2005.