For the
first time since I can remember I did not watch the inauguration of the new
president. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I have had a pit in my
stomach all day trying to wrap my head around the events taking place. It just feels so unreal and scary but I
made all my feelings perfectly clear back in November just after the election (http://bit.ly/2fwNhAQ). But this blog post is
not about politics it is about tradition.
There are
a lot of moving parts on any Inauguration Day, all of which I have always found
fascinating. I thought it would be appropriate on this Inauguration Day to
focus on the positive and inform us all of some very cool facts that we could
all appreciate no matter of party loyalties.
We will
begin with the date, January 20th. Inauguration Day originally took
place on March 4th during the days of George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln. They needed time to gather their cabinet and administration and
communication took a great deal of time. As time passed and technology improved
Presidents no longer needed four months or so to prepare for office. Thus on
January 23, 1933 the twentieth amendment passed which established Inauguration
Day as January 20th.
For the years when January 20th falls on a Sunday there is a
private swearing in ceremony and the public oath of office occurs the very next
day.
“Out with almonds, in with
Doritos.”
As for
the inauguration ceremony itself, the first activity of the day is a morning
worship prayer that originated with F.D.R. From there, the procession to the
capital begins with the President riding along with the President Elect.
The Vice
President Elect takes the oath of office first, although the constitution does
not specify the details of the oath. The President Elect of course goes next.
Once he is officially sworn into office he and God willingly time some soon
she, delivers their inaugural address, the first speech of their presidency.
Coincidentally it is only after the new President becomes official that the
intense five-hour workout at the White House begins. The process is fascinating
but more about that in a minute.
The
bittersweet moment final arrives where the now former President and First Lady
depart via helicopter off the White House lawn. The new President moves on to a
celebratory luncheon that is also at the U.S. Capital, as is the swearing in
ceremony.
To work
off the lunch there is then the Inaugural Parade, which consists of floats,
band, citizen groups, and others since 1841.
Finally
comes the part I would be most excited about, the inaugural ball!
For our
very first President, George Washington, there was a party a week after he
became president. But the very first inaugural ball, as we know it to be, was
thrown for James and Dolly Madison in 1809, which was held in Long’s Hotel.
However it was President James Buchanan in 1857 who abandoned the notion of
several balls in favor of one grand ball. But that did not last long.
President
Clinton had a high of fourteen balls and President Obama had ten. There were
only a handful of times the inaugural ball(s) were canceled. President Wilson
thought it was too expensive and lavish and did away with it. Lesser known
President Pierce (number fourteen) canceled the ball because his son had just
died. President Carter changed the price of admonition to twenty-five to keep
it charitable for those attending.
Allegedly
our new Fuhrer will be attending three inaugural balls tonight. But don’t ask
me who finally agreed to dress the first couple or who they coaxed into
performing.
“Until President John F.
Kennedy’s inauguration, there was no formal process for moving a new president
into the residence, said White House historian William Seale. John Adams simply
left early. Thomas Jefferson stayed in the White House with the Madisons for a
month after his term ended. And so many well-wishers swarmed into the White
House after Andrew Jackson’s inauguration that the new president sneaked out
the back to a hotel.”
Now as
for the big move, the permanent White House staff of about one hundred people
handles the big task. They are charged with moving the former President out and
the current in. They set up everything like they have always lived there. That
includes preferences of art, décor, personal items, closets, cosmetics and
toiletries, and food. The White House Chef and personal pantry will be stocked
with all of the new family’s preferences. F.Y.I. the President must pay for his
own groceries.
These
changes affect each room of the White House both for the residence and office
spaces. Even the bowling alley gets new shoes.
All of
this has to be done by the time the family returns home from the parade to get
ready for the ball.
The stress
of these jobs overwhelms me. But then again I suppose so does the job of the
President.
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