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With the buzz of last November’s election fading into the background, most of us have resumed our daily routines. Whether or not you’ve been keeping track of the latest news since the election, key political events are still making headlines, one of which occurred this past Monday. Jan. 20 was Inauguration Day and marked the transition of the president, his vice president and his Cabinet into the White House to begin their terms. This transition was made official by the inauguration ceremony, which was held at the U.S. Capitol.

While it mainly consists of speeches, the central part of the inauguration ceremony is when the incoming president and vice president swear the oath of office—as required by the —before they begin their executive duties. Traditionally, the vice president is sworn in first, and the president then follows with his own oath. Although it typically receives less national attention than the election, the inauguration is still an extremely important political event, with its own fascinating history.

For starters, Jan. 20 wasn’t the original date of the inauguration ceremony. According to the , the event was previously held on March 4—almost four months after the general election—until 1933, when the change was ratified with the 20th constitutional amendment. In 1937, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first president to be inaugurated on Jan. 20. The reason for the change was practical: The date was moved back to reduce the “lame duck” period between the sitting president and president-elect’s terms. However, even after it was moved, the official public ceremony hasn’t always taken place on Jan. 20. If the date falls on a Sunday, presidents customarily postpone the public event to the following Monday, but the oath of office is still sworn in a ceremony that is generally private, with a few public officials present.

Additionally, the location and magnitude of the ceremony have varied. According to the , “George Washington took the first oath of office on April 27, 1789, on a balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, which was then the temporary capital of the U.S.” Once the capital was moved to Washington D.C. in 1800, presidents began holding the ceremony at the Capitol building, although not always in the same area. The tradition of having it on the west front of the Capitol was started by Ronald Reagan in 1981. This year, snow and forced the inauguration indoors, disappointing the thousands of ticket holders who could no longer attend due to limited space. In terms of magnitude, Joe Biden’s inauguration was markedly smaller than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to BBC News, only were given out for the event, a drastic decrease from the typical 200,000. Biden also had increased safety measures and a scaled-back “virtual parade.” In contrast, more than 220,000 tickets were distributed for Trump’s inauguration on Monday, according to y.

The timing of the inauguration also has significance. The swearing-in ceremony usually occurs at noon, as the dictates that “the terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January.” As soon as the incoming president and vice president finish swearing their oaths, they have fully transitioned into office and can begin to fulfill their duties immediately. Traditionally, the inauguration is followed by several celebratory events–parades, dinners, and inaugural balls. While many of these events are exclusive, a few are open to the general public. Although the inauguration may not garner as much national attention as an election, it is still extremely important to U.S. politics, and it holds a prominent place in history.