Extract from ABC News
Joe Biden will be inaugurated as US president this week after winning the election in November.
The inauguration, basically, is the day that the next President of the United States takes office.
Mr Biden's inauguration is set to be one of the most unusual in US history, with both the global pandemic and the storming of the US Capitol by a violent mob altering plans.
But the day will still have plenty on the agenda for Mr Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris.
It's got Lady Gaga, a virtual parade and over 20,000 National Guard.
It's a long day of ceremonies, some carrying genuine legal significance, while other traditions have just developed over the years to become part of the day's festivities.
What usually happens on the day?
The president-elect usually arrives at the White House in the morning and meets the outgoing president and their family. Then they travel together to the inauguration ceremony.
But President Donald Trump has already said he won't attend the inauguration of Mr Biden, so it's unclear whether the morning visit to the White House will go ahead.
The president and vice-president-elect then both arrive at the Capitol building and the inauguration ceremony begins.
- The next president swears the oath of office.
- They give a speech known as the inaugural address.
- Since 1937, prayers have been read, often by noted pastors with a connection to the new president.
- The president has lunch with the congressional leadership.
- Usually this has been followed by a parade.
- The new president arrives at the White House.
- The president and their partner attend the inaugural ball and celebrate with staff and dignitaries.
But this year, festivities have been dramatically dampened.
We already know the parade will only be 'virtual', the inaugural ball will not go ahead and the congressional luncheon has be cancelled.
What time will the inauguration be?
The event is set to begin at 11:30am on Wednesday in Washington DC, with the swearing-in of Mr Biden and Kamala Harris to begin after midday.
This means that in Australia, things will begin at about 3:30am AEDT on Thursday morning, 2:30am Queensland time and 12:30am in Perth.
When does Joe Biden become president?
The president-to-be only has to do one thing to enter office: swear the presidential oath of office.
"I do solemnly swear 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."
It's not mandated but traditionally the oath is administered by the chief justice of the supreme court. Currently, that's Chief Justice John Roberts.
The constitution also doesn't mention that the oath has to be taken on a particular book but by tradition presidents have sworn the oath on a bible. In recent years, choosing the right bible has added another question for new presidents.
Some have opted to simply use their family bible but others have sought-out bibles of significance, like Abraham Lincoln's bible or the bible used to swear in the first president, George Washington.
Do presidents stuff-up the oath?
Surprisingly regularly.
It might appear straight-forward but the oath has tripped up some of America's most accomplished politicians.
Most recently, Justice Roberts accidentally mangled the wording of the oath when he swore in President Barrack Obama in 2007.
In a do-over, President Obama recited the correct wording of the oath with Justice Roberts at the White House the next day.
William Howard Taft stuffed-up the oath twice, once when he took it and once as chief justice of the supreme court when he swore in Herbert Hoover.
The second time, a eighth-grade schoolgirl named Helen Terwilliger picked up the error while listening on the radio.
But after being told about the mistake, Mr Taft wasn't too concerned.
"After all, I don't think it's important," he's reported to have said.
The oath might be the only required part of inauguration day but the schedule has become filled with plenty of traditions that aren't, strictly, necessary.
How important is the inaugural address?
It's pretty important.
The inaugural address, which has been traditional since George Washington was inaugurated, has given us some of the most quotable remarks in presidential history and new presidents use it to define their vision of America.
John F Kennedy urged Americans to "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country".
Franklin Deleno Roosevelt committed to using the power of government to repair the damage of the great depression but asked Americans to trust in the leadership of the country.
"The only thing to fear is fear itself," he said.
In 1981, Ronald Reagan told Americans their hard work and entrepreneurialism made them the heroes that the country needed.
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem," he said.
Mr Biden and his speech writers will no doubt be hoping to conjure some rhetoric that will similarly stick in the American consciousness.
Will there be celebrities?
Of course. This is the United States of America we're talking about here.
Entertainment has become almost as important to the US inauguration as it is to the Super Bowl and modern presidents and their teams have agonised over putting together a rundown of performers that represent the values of their presidency.
This year, Lady Gaga will sing the US national anthem and Jennifer Lopez is also expected to perform live.
This will be followed, for the first time, by a 90-minute inauguration TV special in the evening. It will be hosted by Tom Hanks.
He'll be joined by the Foo Fighters, John Legend and Bruce Springsteen, who will be beamed in from remote-locations. Actors Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria are set to share some of the hosting duties.
It's a markedly different tone to Donald Trump's inauguration concert in 2017, which featured 3 Doors Down performing their smash hit song Kryptonite from the year 2000.
What else has changed this year?
Washington DC is on high alert and over 20,000 national guard have been mobilised to secure the Capitol ahead of the inauguration.
This means the national mall, which is usually filled with tens of thousands of onlookers, will be bare.
People have been discouraged from attending the inauguration and reportedly there are only about 1,000 tickets this year, which have been made available through senators and members of Congress.
And unlike years past, the Capitol building will be surrounded by a 7-foot-high fence topped with razor wire.
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