The holiday was first introduced to the
Polish Parliament through a members' bill proposed by Edward Płonek on 15 October 2003. According to the justification of the law introducing the holiday, the reasons why 2 May was chosen were that it marked a day when Poles could reflect on Polish history as it was preceded and followed by national holidays, and because it coincided with
Polish Diaspora Day. Historical reasons also played a key role in the choice of the date: on 2 May 1945,
the First Polish Army conquering
Nazi-controlled Berlin put
a white and red flag on the
Berlin Victory Column and on the
Reichstag. The authorities of the
Polish People's Republic stopped the celebrations of
Constitution Day on 3 May and requested that all national flags be removed prior to it. The establishment of the
Third Polish Republic marked a rejection of a lot of the policies of the regime that preceded it, including a clear return to celebrations such as Constitution Day. In the course of legislative work, the
Senate of the Republic of Poland, in its resolution of 12 February, 2004, proposed amendments such as: replacing Polish National Flag Day with the Day of the White Eagle, recognizing the emblem as the chief among the symbols of the Republic of Poland. Eventually, the
Sejm rejected the amendment, and on 20 February 2004, established
the National Flag Day of the Republic of Poland. and
Kościuszko Mound, Krakow, Poland.
The celebration Various types of patriotic actions and demonstrations are organized on this day. A custom popularized by President
Lech Kaczyński and continued by his successors is wearing a
national cockade on that day. == References==