Constitution Day

Constitution Day Facts & Quotes

• Shorty after the new Constitution was signed, Poland was at war with the Russians who subsequently divided up the nation into Russian, Austrian and Prussian sections.
• In 1795, Poland ceased to exist on the map of Europe and it would remain this way for more than a century until 1918 when it was reinstated.
• The Polish Constitution was the first ever in Europe and only the second in the world (after the USA).
• The Sejm of the Republic of Poland, at the request of the Senate, re-established the 3 May as Constitution Day on 6 April 6 1990 following a 123-year long period of Polish enslavement.
• Today I am speaking to all the Poles all over the world. Today is the 150th anniversary of the Constitution passed by your parliament. You are right to celebrate this day as a national holiday because, at the time when your Constitution of 1791 was drawn up, it was a model of enlightened political thought. - Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, spoken on 3 May 1941

In the News and Trending for Constitution Day

Constitution Day Top Events and Things to Do

• Read a book about the tumultuous history of Poland to better understand the holiday's meaning. Some of our suggestions: The History of Poland, The Story of Poland and A Concise History of Poland.
• Indulge in traditional Polish food to celebrate culinary tradition and heritage on this national holiday. Some of our favourites include: pierogi (dumplings), rosol (chicken soup), golabki (cabbage rolls), bigos (hunter's stew) and kotlet schabowy (breaded pork cutlet).
• Spread awareness on social media with hashtags such as #PolishConstitutionDay, #ConstitutionPoland and #FirstConstitutioninEurope.
• Attend the Constitution Day parade in Warsaw. The parade is fun-filled and includes military, cultural and artistic aspects of Polish heritage.
• Attend a local mass on 3 May which is also the feast day of Our Lady Queen of Poland. Masses are held around the country and attended by Poles of all walks of life.

Constitution Day References and Related Sites