What is Constitution Day?

Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal holidaythat recognizes the ratification of the UnitedStates Constitution. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutuional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.

The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending billof 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind. This holiday is not observed by granting time off work for federal employees.

When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions unofficially observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday. This was the case in 2005, when Constitution Day was generally observed on Friday, September 16 and 2006 when the holiday was observed on Monday, September 18.

For a wealth of information about the US Constitution including educational resources and interactive tools, visit the National Constitution Center website http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ (see disclaimer below).

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