It is now official and the world has seen Barack Obama take the position of having his second term as President of the United States of America. The Inauguration event should have been on the 20^thalone, but because it has landed on a Sunday, which is of course, family day, the inauguration committee decided to have the public swear-in done on the 21^st, as a day when the public would be able to witness such a momentous event in US politics. So what did the world witness on this great day for America? With the inauguration celebration not being too familiar with some people, you could learn the 10 facts of President Obama’s second inauguration as US president and become more aware of the value and the essence of this special occasion.

10. The Inaugural Platform

People have seen the Capitol everyday and there is no trace of the inaugural platform, whatsoever. But as this momentous event comes once every four years, the platform should be big enough to accommodate over 1,600 people, all present for the President’s oath-taking. For economical reasons, some may think that it is stored somewhere safe, but according to the group of congress people that takes care of the event, the platform, which is over 10,000 square feet, should be done from scratch.

9. The Time Span of the Event

Even though there have been a two-part inauguration with the private on a Sunday and a public on a Monday, it did not mean that the time to be spent in the event would be shortened. It has always been the case that the celebration of the occasion is a whole-day activity from the time of the oath-taking down to the last couple of dances in the inauguration ball.

8. Food by the Thousands

When President Obama had his first inauguration back in 2009, he had to visit one diner for him to have his peace of mind. Ben’s Chili Bowl back then became an instant celebrity for being involved with the dealings of the event before he was even nominated. In 2013, Ben’s is making a comeback as it expects over so many customers that will look for the tasty chili bowl, which will be over 1,000 gallons that would be enough to feed a hungry crowd. The Willard InterContinental Hotel will also be making adjustments with the number of eggs to be used in a week’s time, even 10,000 to be used for the whole inauguration celebration.

7. Volunteers for the Preparation

Although the inauguration committee has its hands on some of their own people, there have been over 50,000 volunteers that have helped in preparing for the event, which included people coming from various walks of life, with their own level of expertise. While the number may be a bit big for voluntary service, the applications for this job have been limited, thanks to the online application that made it easier to decline excessive manpower.

6. Limitations on Donations

In order to show support to the President who will be swearing, many businesses, large corporations, and other companies are on the initiative to give cash donations, which will then be used for various government projects. During President Obama’s 1^st term in 2009, he actually placed a donation cap to only $50,000 per donor, most likely in respect to the financial crisis that crippled the nation’s many businesses and industries. However, this time around, he had removed the cap limit and there have been many donors that offered cash in exchange for reserved seats and accommodation. For the “Adams” package, $150,000 should be paid by individuals while $500,000 for the corporations who are interested to donate. Bleachers from the parade, VIP packages, and others have been priced to $250,000 for individuals and as much as $1 million for corporations.

5. Necessary Absence

There is one tradition in the inauguration that may not be too obvious for most people. There has to be one cabinet secretary that should not attend the ceremonies, which is obviously for security reasons. With this being the case, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki will not show up in the event.

4. Sitting in the Church of the Presidents

St. John’s Episcopal Church is known to be the nearest house of worship that’s located very close to the White House. This could be one of the most obvious reasons why this divine structure has been called as the “Church of the Presidents”. While it is of common knowledge that the First Family has spent their Sunday in this place, there is something being done here that only presidents can do. President Obama had to sit on Pew 54, a station in the church where most of the other presidents have sat on, during their leadership days.

3. A Dress Rehearsal was Made

To make the inauguration event running as perfect as it should be on TV coverage and on the event itself, a dress rehearsal was necessary to make sure that everything goes according to plan. Everything in the event, including the President Obama’s oath taking, which was played by selected military officers, and even the singing of the National Anthem have all been patched up on January 13, a week before the inauguration.

2. Bibles Being Used

Since the Sunday inauguration was a family affair, President Obama decided to use a bible that belonged to the First Lady’s family in order to show the importance of family in such a private moment for the president and the country. During the public oath-taking, two other bibles have been suggested to be used. One belonged to Martin Luther King Jr. and the other is owned by one of the previous US Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. Both bibles were held by Michelle, and Barack was able to make a successful swear-in, knowing that two of the most influential people in the inauguration had played their part in Obama’s second term.

1. Date of the Inauguration

Based on the customs and traditions that have been observed for many years, the inauguration should be done on the 20^th of January, where the president and the vice-president should be taking the oath of office. However, since the 20^th is on a Sunday, a day where families are spending time for each other, the inauguration committee decided to have it in two parts: the private oath-taking will be done on the 20^th together with the first and second families, while the public swear-in would be done on the 21^st in order to accommodate the respects of the American people.