National Day of Prayer
36 U.S.C. §119
Date and recurrence
First Thursday of May
This observance follows a reusable calendar rule rather than one fixed Gregorian date. The actual date can move from year to year. Rule: First Thursday of May
Scope and status
The verified scope stored for this record is United States national prayer observance. The site preserves that boundary and does not infer broader government, global or public-holiday status from the observance name alone.
Also known as
National Prayer Day
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Faith Context Respect.
Sources
- U.S. Code — 36 U.S.C. §119 National Day of PrayerStatutory Government Source
- Cornell Legal Information Institute — 36 U.S.C. § 119Federal Statute
- GovInfo — National Day of Prayer proclamation/statutory historyOfficial Federal Record
Frequently asked questions
When is National Day of Prayer?
First Thursday of May The stored recurrence guidance is: First Thursday of May.
Does National Day of Prayer fall on the same date every year?
It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.
Is National Day of Prayer an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United States national prayer observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes National Day of Prayer?
The stored designation basis is: 36 U.S.C. §119. Supporting provenance includes U.S. Code — 36 U.S.C. §119 National Day of Prayer. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is National Day of Prayer international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this record in the authority dataset. The source-defined scope is: United States national prayer observance. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
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