What Is Constitution Day?

On September 17, 1787, the US Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, PA. Although the U.S. Constitution is the oldest and the shortest of all of the written national constitutions, no official recognition of this significant event was established until Louise Leigh founded Constitution Day Inc. in 1997. President George W. Bush signed Public Law 108-447 designating September 17th as Constitution Day or Citizenship Day. This federal holiday is not observed by granting time off work; however, all publicly funded educational institutions must provide a program on the history of the U.S. Constitution on September 17. If Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, then observance of the holiday is on an adjacent weekday.The LLRC of Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth observes Constitution Day by planning activities with various classes to commemorate the signing of the Constitution.