Published on Oct 08, 2021
3rd May International Day : 3 May Constitution Day is a Polish national and public holiday that takes place on 3 May. The holiday celebrates the declaration of the Constitution of 3 May 1791.
Festivities date back to the Duchy of Warsaw early in the 19th century, but it became an official holiday only in 1919 in the Second Polish Republic. Delisted during the times of the Polish People's Republic, it was reestablished after the fall of communism in modern Poland.
1. When they resisted the booming and shelling of the colonial guns, our founder fathers wanted nothing bur sovereignty for this nation. Let us always defend this gift from our predecessors. Happy Constitution Day!
2. Freedom in mind, faith in words. Pride in our hearts and memories in our souls. Let's salute the nation on Constitution Day 2021.
3. "The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." Benjamin Franklin, American polymath
4. Liberum Veto” was abolished forever – a destructive rule according to which any one nobleman could put a veto on a joint decision
5. Justice, liberty, equality, fraternity. May our dream of a new tomorrow come true for us.
6. Today, let us remember the golden heritage of our country and feel pound to be a part of Poland.
7. Where each bud blooms in its true colours, where each day is celebration of unity, harmony and synthesis. Happy Constitution Day.
3 May was first declared a holiday on 5 May 1791, and celebrated a year later, on 3 May 1792. Banned during the partitions of Poland it was celebrated in the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807, and unofficially in Congress Poland by various pro-independence activists, more openly during the times of insurrections, such as the November Uprising. It was again made an official Polish holiday in April 1919 under the Second Polish Republic—the first holiday officially introduced in the Second Polish Republic. The 3 May holiday was banned once more during World War II by the Nazi and Soviet occupiers.
It was celebrated in the Polish cities in May 1945, although in a mostly spontaneous manner.The celebrations were officially canceled shortly before 3 May 1946, and the anti-communist demonstrations took place later that day.This, and the competition the date created with the communist-endorsed 1 May Labor Day celebrations, meant that the 3 May Constitution Day lost support with the authorities of the Polish People's Republic. In 1947 it was officially rebranded Democratic Party Day and removed from the list of national holidays either then or in 1951 (sources vary).
Until 1989, 3 May was a common day for anti-government and anti-communist protests. 3 May was restored as an official Polish holiday in April 1990, after the fall of communism. In 2007, 3 May was also declared a Lithuanian national holiday; the first joint celebration by the Polish Sejm and the Lithuanian Seimas took place on 3 May 2007.
