| Grundlovsdag | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Grundlovsdagen_fejres_i_Frederiksberg_Have.jpg) 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 2025 |
| Frequency | annual |
Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag [ˈɡ̊ʁɔnlɒwsˌdæːˀ]) is observed in Denmark on 5 June.[1][2] The day honours 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, and 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 labour 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 43.4 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 organisations 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).
- ^ 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 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).