With the death of former President Jimmy Carter being announced on Sunday, its important to note that the country will have its chance to more properly say goodbye to its 39th president in the coming days.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Commander-in-Chief will receive a full state funeral on Thursday, Jan. 9, which is a formal national tribute initiated by a proclamation by the sitting president and handled by the Joint Task Force National Capital Region, an office within the Department of Defense.
President Joe Biden has already signed a proclamation initiating a state funeral for Carter, and has ordered American flags to fly at half staff for thirty days.
A state funeral typically lasts 7 to 10 days and is done in three separate stages. Here's everything to expect over the next few days:
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How will the state funeral begin?
The first stage of a state funeral is held in the former president's home state. In this case, Carter spent most of his life living in Plains, Georgia.
The former president's casket will travel from his hometown to Atlanta the first week of January via a motorcade, where he will first lie in repose in the Carter Center, his post-presidency foundation.
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After a few days, the former president will be flown to Washington, D.C. to continue the state funeral.
Will former President Jimmy Carter lie in state?
Yes, the former president will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol for more than a day after being flown to the capital, where he will be greeted with a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.
Carter's body will then be moved again on Jan. 9 to the National Cathedral for a state funeral that is expected to last around an hour.
What is the difference between lying in state and lying repose?
Lying in state is "when the casket of a member of government (or former member of government) is placed on view in the principal government building of a country or state to allow the public to pay their respects," according to the JTF-NCR. Whereas lying in repose is when the casket of a former member of government lies in any other building to allow the public to pay respect.
Where will former President Jimmy Carter be buried?
Carter, following his state funeral, will be taken back to Plains, Georgia, where he will be buried alongside his wife, Rosalynn Carter, following a private service.
Who receives a state funeral?
A state funeral is typically reserved for the deaths of former presidents, but can also be given to those designated by the president.
So far, an official state funeral has only been given to former presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and George H. W. Bush, However, the JFT-NCR notes that funerals of "great magnificence" have been held in the United States since its founding, including for the death of former President George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and even Benjamin Franklin.
What are some traditions that go along with a state funeral?
One tradition for a state funeral is the three volley salute over a grave, which likely dates all the way back to ancient Rome, where the "rite of casting dirt three times on the coffin constituted the 'burial,'" according to the JTF-NCR. The three volley salute uses seven-member firing party and it does not carry out the 21-gun salute.
The 21-gun salute is another tradition at a state funeral that uses a canon to fire off 21 rounds with five-second intervals between rounds.
Another tradition is the carrying of a casket using a horse-drawn caisson, which likely dates back to the 1800s, when it was used to carry men lost on the battlefield. During the modern state funeral, the caisson uses six horses of the same color, as well as three riders.
Some other traditions for a state funeral include a military escort for the family, armed forces body bearers, a flag-draped casket and a military flyover.
What music will play during Carter's state funeral?
Several traditional music pieces will be played throughout all three stages of the state funeral, including "Hail to the Chief, the traditional song for a president, and the "Star-Spangled Banner."
Other songs played include "Taps," a bugle sound called over the grave that dates back to the Civil War.
