<P> Since the 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan, the ceremony has been held at the west front of the United States Capitol facing the National Mall with its iconic Washington Monument and distant Lincoln Memorial . Other swearing - in ceremonies have taken place on a platform over the steps at the Capitol's east portico on a regular basis for 180 years, and occasionally inside the Old Senate Chamber on the old north side, the chamber of the House of Representatives in the south wing, and the central Rotunda under the dome . Additionally, on two occasions--in 1817 and 1945--they were held at other locations in Washington, D.C., at the Executive Mansion, (later known as the White House) </P> <P> Though it's not a constitutional requirement, the Chief Justice typically administers the presidential oath of office . Since 1789, the oath has been administered at 58 scheduled public inaugurations, by 15 chief justices, one associate justice, and one New York state judge . Others, in addition to the chief justice, have administered the oath of office to several of the nine vice presidents who succeeded to the presidency upon their predecessor's death or resignation intra-term . When a new president assumed office under these unusual circumstances the inauguration is conducted without pomp or fanfare . </P> <P> The first inauguration, that of George Washington, took place on April 30, 1789 . All subsequent (regular) inaugurations from 1793 until 1933, were held on March 4, the day of the year on which the federal government began operations under the U.S. Constitution in 1789 . The exception to this pattern being those years in which March 4 fell on a Sunday . When it did, the public inauguration ceremony would take place on Monday, March 5 . This happened on four occasions, in 1821, 1849, 1877, and 1917 . Inauguration Day moved to January 20, beginning in 1937, following ratification of the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution, where it has remained since . A similar Sunday exception and move to Monday is made around this date as well (which happened in 1957, 1985, and 2013). </P> <P> Inauguration Day, while not a federal holiday, is observed as a holiday by federal employees who work in the District of Columbia; Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland; Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax in Virginia, and who are regularly scheduled to perform non-overtime work on Inauguration Day . There is no in - lieu - of holiday for employees or students who are not regularly scheduled to work or attend school on Inauguration Day . </P>

Where did the tradition of an inaugural address come from
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