On May 3, Poland celebrates a national and public holiday known as May 3 Constitution Day or May 3 National Holiday.
It commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of May 3, 1791.
The 1791 Constitution was adopted by the Great Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
It was designed to amend the country's political system by redressing its defects.
When the sovereign Polish state ceased to exists as a result of the partitions of Poland, the Constitution became a symbol of hope for restoration of the country’s sovereignty.
Polish Constitution Day was first celebrated in 1792.
It was banned during the partitions of Poland, but many people celebrated it unofficially.
Following the establishment of the Second Polish Republic, Constitution Day was declared an official holiday in 1919.
It was abolished during the communist rule, but after the fall of communism and establishment of the Republic of Poland the holiday was re-established once again.
