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Bill of Rights Day

History · December 15

Bill of Rights Day marks the first ten amendments to the US Constitution and the freedoms they set out, from speech and worship to fair trials.

Bill of Rights Day falls on Tuesday, December 15, 2026. That is 49 days away.

The Bill of Rights is the name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. They are short, and most can be read in under a minute. Together they list freedoms and protections that the government is not allowed to take away.

The First Amendment is the best known. It covers freedom of speech, the press, religion, peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government. Others are quieter but just as specific: protection against unreasonable searches, the right to a speedy and public trial, the right to a jury in many cases, and a ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The Tenth Amendment closes the list by reserving powers not given to the federal government to the states or the people.

People usually mark the day by reading. Schools and libraries often put out copies, and some classrooms read the amendments aloud, one student per amendment. It is also a common time to visit a historical society or look at a printed facsimile of the original document, with its long handwritten lines.

Reading the full text, rather than a summary, tends to surprise people. The Third Amendment, for instance, is about not having soldiers lodged in your home without consent, a concern that sounded very practical to the people who wrote it.

Ways to celebrate

• Read all ten amendments aloud with family or friends.
• Look for a facsimile of the original document online or at a library.
• Ask a friend which amendment they find most surprising.
• Visit a local historical society or museum exhibit on early American history.

Dates

All national days on December 15

Also on December 15

• National Cupcake Day
• Cat Herders Day
• National Lemon Cupcake Day
• National Wear Your Pearls Day

Categories: History days