U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance began their inauguration day on January 20, filled with official and ceremonial events, with a visit to St. John’s Church near Lafayette Square in Washington DC.
A church service has become a tradition for heads of state on the first day the new administration’s term in office, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
St. John’s Episcopal Church is also known as the Church of the Presidents. Almost every head of state has visited it since the time of James Madison.
The tradition of starting an inauguration with a private service was started by 31st President Franklin Roosevelt. He then asked to host his family and friends for a private service, to which the church agreed. 32nd President Harry Truman decided to follow in Roosevelt’s footsteps, and the tradition persisted ever after.
Sometimes services are held in a different location, depending on the religious denomination of the president-elect.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the visit to St. John’s Church is only the first point on the large-scale inauguration agenda of the 47th President, Donald Trump. The main events, including the swearing-in and the inaugural address, will take place at about noon local time on Monday in the U.S. Congress building. In addition, the new president will traditionally sign his first decrees and appointments on the same day, do a ceremonial review of military units, meet with voters at the Capital One Arena, and participate in the inaugural balls.
Source: Inaugural events for Trump-Vance administration kick off in Washington
