What happens at the inauguration of the new US President?
- Published
Joe Biden is the 46th President of the United States
Joe Biden will officially become the 46th President of the United States at a ceremony called the inauguration.
Inauguration day is 20 January, 2021 and is the day Joe Biden moves into the White House.
The ceremony will be different to many others due to coronavirus, but it will still be a big moment for the US,
Newsround has everything you need to know about how it works.
What is inauguration?
Here you can see Trump taking the oath in 2017 on his inauguration day
The inauguration is the name given to the ceremony where the new president officially starts the job.
At the ceremony, Joe Biden will make a promise to the American people to do his best to protect the country and do a good job of being their leader.
This is called "taking the oath of office".
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Mr Biden will also give a special speech called the "inaugural address", where he will announce his big plans and top priorities for when he is leader.
Where will it be?
The Capitol building looks extremely impressive on inauguration day
The ceremony traditionally takes place in front of a building called the Capitol.
The Capitol is a building in Washington where part of the US government, called Congress, is based.
When is it?
The inauguration will take place on Wednesday 20 January at - or around - midday in Washington DC.
The UK is 5 hours ahead of Washington, so the time here will be around 5pm when it takes place.
Who will be there?
Biden is no stranger to the White House he was Vice President when Barack Obama was the President from 20 January 2009 - 20 January 2017
In addition to many thousand members of public, the attendees at the ceremony usually generally include the vice president, senior politicians, Supreme Court justices, high-ranking military officers and former presidents.
The outgoing president usually attends the next president's inauguration. Only five have chosen not to do so.
However, 2021's inauguration will be different because of the pandemic, and President Trump has yet to confirm if he will be there.
Joe Biden's Presidential team say that Mr Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take oaths of office at the U.S. Capitol with "vigorous health and safety protocols," which will be followed by the new President's inaugural address.
They have also asked Americans to stay at home as they celebrate the day's inaugural activities.
You can see from this picture of Barack Obama giving his inaugural address in 2009 that there were lots of people there!
"The ceremony's footprint will be extremely limited, and the parade that follows will be re-imagined," they added.
Dr. David Kessler, the committee's chief medical adviser said: "The pandemic is continuing to have a significant public health impact across the nation. Americans everywhere must do their part to slow the spread of the virus: wear masks, stay home and limit gatherings.
We are asking Americans to participate in inaugural events from home to protect themselves, their families, friends and communities."
- Published3 November 2020
- Published8 November 2020
- Published3 November 2020
- Published8 November 2020
