Happy Constitution Day, Denmark!
The present Doodle observes Denmark’s Constitution Day (Grundlovsdag), a festival of national pride that celebrates the anniversary of one, yet two historical achievements in the Scandinavian country’s history.
On this day in 1849, Denmark officially signed its first constitution, which was updated and changed on June 5, 1915.
The ratification of the constitution in 1849 (known as Grundloven) laid out and hardened a portion of Denmark’s most characterizing laws and citizen rights, like freedom of expression and the separation of governmental powers.
The present anniversary conveys another layer of significance as the 1915 revision of the constitution included landmark legislation that at last gave Danish women the right to vote.
As most businesses and shops are shut today, numerous Danes celebrate their country’s democracy and constitution with fællessang (bunch singing) and udendørsarrangementer (open-air gatherings) in public parks, where pølser (hotdogs) and beer are appreciated by friends and family alike in the typically warm Scandinavian June weather.