Constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark - June 5, 1849
The closest we Danes come to a national holiday is Constitution Day. A constitution that is both envied and admired abroad and which gives us Danes democracy and freedoms every day. We celebrate it every year on June 5.
This year, however, Constitution Day is a little different - it's the 175th anniversary of Denmark's most important law, and it's being celebrated both in the Danish Parliament and large parts of civil Denmark.
The first constitution was signed in 1849 by Frederik VII, establishing Denmark as a constitutional monarchy.
Subsequently, the constitution was revised in:
- 1866
- 1915
- 1920 and latest version is signed
- 1953
The revision of 1915 (also signed on June 5) is especially important to many Danes. It was on this day that women were granted the constitutional right to vote.
test your knowledge about Constitution Day here"We must always stand guard over the Constitution. It is the foundation of our democracy and constitutional society, and we can be proud of it. Yet very few people know what the Constitution actually says. We want to shake things up in a fun and educational way and strike a blow for the Constitution with the Constitution Challenge. We hope that people will play along and become wiser."
Director of Development at the National Courts Administration, Merethe Eckhardt.
In many places, the Dannebrog is raised and all over the country there are political rallies and speeches. It often takes place outdoors in very social settings and many families spend most of the day together - after all, the day has been celebrated as "Father's Day" since 1935.
Constitution Day is not an official public holiday, but the majority of the Danish workforce gets a half - and in some places a full - day off. As a result, many shops close after 12:00 on Constitution Day.
In these years, we are reminded daily that fighting for and valuing basic democratic rights will never be out of date.
We at CLEMENS would therefore like to take this opportunity to shout a loud cheer for the Danish Constitution and wish all our clients, partners and friends of the company a happy Constitution Day and Father's Day.
