If you hear bells at 4 p.m. Sept. 17, it may be residents celebrating Constitution Day

If you hear bells at 4 p.m. Tuesday, it may be a display of patriotism.

The Daughters of the American Revolution rings bells at 4 p.m. every Sept. 17 to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. Representatives of the Princeton DAR spoke Monday at the Princeton City Council meeting about the signing the of the Constitution.

The Constitution was signed by 39 of 55 delegates to the convention Sept. 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, said Nancy Gartner, of the Princeton DAR. Some refused to sign because there was no Bill of Rights. Two years later, a Bill of Rights was added, however, one delegate still refused to sign because the Constitution did nothing to stop slavery, she said.

In 1955, the national DAR petitioned Congress to make Sept. 17-23 Constitution Week. In 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law and the DAR have honored the week ever since with program for schools and organizations, including their annual bell ringing, which commemorates the bells that rang out throughout Philadelphia calling citizens to Liberty Hall for a celebration of the Constitution.

The DAR’s mission is historic preservation, education and patriotism. It is a service organization. Every year the DAR gives more than 1,600 hours of community service to the area around Princeton. Nationally, the organization gives 5 million service hours to the nation.