The weekend President Obama will officially begin his second term with the Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C. The schedule of the inauguration, seen below, is a bit more complicated this year because the way the calendar falls and the demands of the United States Constitution. President Obama will be officially sworn into office tomorrow because the Constitution sets the swearing-in date as January 20, 2013. However, most public institutions are closed on Sunday so the ceremonies will all be held on Monday, January 21, 2013. For more details on the weekends events consult the Join Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies website here.
Sunday Schedule:
8:15 am EST - Official Swearing-In of Vice President Biden
Vice President Joe Biden will be sworn into office at the Naval Observatory.
9 am EST – Wreath Laying Ceremony
resident Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
11:55 am EST - Official Swearing-In of President Obama
President Obama will be sworn in at the White House Blue room.
Monday Schedule:
11:30 am EST – Ceremonial Swearing-In and Inaugural Address
Vice President Joe Biden and President Obama will take part in the ceremonial swearing in which will be open to the public. The oath of office to Vice President Biden will be administered by Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The oath of office to President Obama will be administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. President Obama will then deliver his inaugural address, which will be followed by a musical performance from Kelly Clarkson.
2:35 pm EST: The Obama and Biden families will participate in the inaugural parade. The parade will participants, floats, and vehicles from 58 different groups.
6:00 pm EST – The Inaugural Parade
President Obama will host the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball. The ball began in 2005 and is done to honor military service members and their families. Active duty and reserve military personnel will be in attendance, and troops from around the world will be able to virtually attend.
7:00 pm EST – The Inaugural Ball
The Inaugural Ball is a a tradition that began with President George Washington and has expanded greatly since. In 2009 President Obama attended ten official Inaugural Balls. This year there will be only two, the smallest number for any President since Dwight D. Eisenhower. The smaller number is reflective of the smaller crowd. In 2009 over 1.8 million people came to the capital to see the first African-American president be sworn into office. President Obama’s second swearing-in is less novel.
Tuesday Schedule
10:30 am EST - National Prayer Service
President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and their families will attend a national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral.
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