On Inauguration Day, President-elect Donald Trump will once again take his oath of office with a hand on two Bibles, continuing a longstanding tradition among U.S. presidents. This ceremony, occurring on Monday in Washington, D.C., mirrors the oath-taking customs established since the first president, George Washington, who first borrowed a Bible from a Masonic lodge in 1789 for his swearing-in ceremony. According to the Time, Washington's actions set a precedent that many presidents have followed, including the practice of kissing the Bible, which ceased following Franklin Pierce's 1853 swearing-in, where he placed his left hand on the Bible instead.

Trump will use the Lincoln Bible, first utilized in 1861 for Abraham Lincoln's inauguration, alongside a personal Bible given to him by his mother in 1955. The latter holds significant emotional value, marked with Trump's name and the signatures of church officials from his childhood at the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, New York, as detailed in a report from India Times. This dual Bible usage not only highlights the importance of family heritage but also showcases the personal connection many presidents maintain with the texts they choose for their oaths.

The tradition of swearing in with a Bible has seen variations, with some presidents, including John Quincy Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, opting for alternative texts during their ceremonies. However, the overwhelming majority continue to adhere to the tradition first established by Washington, further solidifying the cultural significance of the Bible in American political life.

The significance of presidential oaths is profound, intertwining the obligation to uphold the Constitution and the historical context of the office. For Trump, as for many before him, the dual Bibles serve as a reminder of personal faith and the weighty expectations of the presidency.