The late former President Jimmy Carter will be honored with a national day of mourning Thursday on the same day as a state funeral is planned in Washington, D.C.
Services began Saturday to honor Carter, who died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. After lying in repose at the Carter Presidential Center in Georgia, Carter’s remains arrived Tuesday in D.C., where he is scheduled to lie in state at the United States Capitol rotunda ahead of funeral services.
President Joe Biden declared Jan. 9 as a national day of mourning for Carter, who served one term as U.S. president from 1977 to 1981 before becoming a renowned world humanitarian.
Here’s what to know about a national day of mourning, including the history of the honor, what it means and what federal agencies will be closed Thursday.
When is Jimmy Carter’s funeral?See full schedule as remains are transported to DC this week
A national day of mourning is a day to honor and pay respects to a revered public figure who has died, most commonly a U.S. president.
In the case of Jimmy Carter, the national day of mourning will be held on the same day as the 39th president’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral.
The most recent president to be honored with a national day of mourning was George H.W. Bush after his death in December 2018.
The tradition began in 1865 with a one-day government shutdown six weeks after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, according to the New York Times.
While several presidents have been honored with a day of mourning in the subsequent years, others have been commemorated as well. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were each honored with a national day of mourning after they were assassinated in 1968.
President Biden, who will deliver a eulogy at the funeral, has also ordered for U.S. flags to fly at half-staff for Carter for 30 days following his death. The honor is one granted to all sitting or former presidents under a 1954 proclamation signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
For Carter, flags will fly at half-staff – or half-mast, in the case of ships and naval stations – until Jan. 28. That means the flags will still be at half-staff during President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
Biden issued an executive order Dec. 30 that “all executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed on Jan. 9,” except those necessary for “national security, defense, or other public need.” That means federal employees will have a paid day off.
Here’s a list of agencies and services that will briefly close for the day:
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
