When George W Bush takes the oath of office today, he will be taking part in a ceremony which has changed dramatically since the inauguration of the first president, George Washington. Nick Morrison looks at the closest thing the United States has to a coronation.

IT was a cold March day, but William Henry Harrison saw no need to wear a winter coat. After taking the oath as president of the United States, and in defiance of the weather, he completed what is still the longest inaugural address on record, some 8,495 words, spoken over two hours.

But his decision to brave the elements took a heavy toll: he developed pneumonia and died a month later.

While history's comment on the ninth president, whose term of office lasted from March to April 1831, may go no further than his inauguration, the ceremony itself has become an important piece of US political theatre.

When George W Bush, the 43rd president, takes the oath of office for the second time, just before noon today, it will be as part of a day of celebrations estimated to cost $50m, including a procession and the new tradition of a plethora of presidential balls.

As the nearest the United States gets to a royal coronation, the inauguration represents an opportunity for the president to set the tone for his term of office, and it can be the occasion for some memorable words.

At his second inauguration, in March 1865, Abraham Lincoln gave what is considered to be the greatest of all inaugural addresses. As the Civil War drew to a close, he told the assembled throng: "Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all we may to achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations".

Lincoln's second inauguration was also notable for being the first time African-Americans had taken part in the parade.

But other addresses have also provided a lasting testament. In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt said: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself," while 28 years later John F Kennedy declared: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

The inaugural address has been a feature of the ceremony ever since George Washington swore an oath as the first president, in April 1789, although his address at his second inauguration four years later is the shortest on record, just 135 words. After swearing the oath of office, the words of which are laid down in the Constitution, Washington added: "So help me, God", a custom which has been followed by all succeeding presidents.

Washington's inauguration took place in New York, but in 1801 the ceremony was moved to the nation's new capital of Washington, although it remained on the now fixed date of March 4. It was not until 1937, Franklin Roosevelt's second inauguration, that the date was moved to January 20 by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.

In 1829, Andrew Jackson became the first president to take the oath on the east side of the Capitol building, which houses the Senate and House of Representatives, and where the ceremony took place until 1981, when it was moved to the larger west front, to accommodate more people.

After taking the oath of office, the president traditionally kisses the Bible, although in 1953, Dwight D Eisenhower recited his own prayer instead. In 1969, Richard Nixon took the oath on two Bibles, both family heirlooms.

There is no dress code for the swearing-in ceremonies, but those attending are prohibited from taking umbrellas, thermos flasks, or food larger than a small snack to the event.

In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt went to a church service before his inauguration, beginning a tradition which has been followed ever since. Today, George Bush will attend the same St John's Episcopal Church, next to the White House, just as he did four years ago.

After the service, the president-elect and vice president-elect are escorted to the White House, and then leave for the Capitol accompanied by the outgoing president, a tradition begun in 1837, when Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson rode in a carriage made from wood taken from the USS Constitution.

In 1869, Andrew Johnson became only the third president not to join the president-elect in the procession, remaining at the White House signing legislation until his term of office expired at noon.

Following the inauguration itself, the president is escorted to the Capitol for a luncheon hosted by Congress, a tradition dating back to 1897, although it did not take its present form until 1953, when Eisenhower and the new First Lady dined on chicken, baked ham and potato puffs.

After luncheon, the President and First Lady make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where they will review the inaugural parade. For many Americans, this is the high point of the occasion, a much-anticipated event which showcases the nation's ability to stage a public spectacle.

It began quite informally: Washington was escorted to his swearing-in ceremony by local militias, prominent citizens and government officials, but now it is a highly-organised event, with participants selected by a special committee.

The largest parade, with 73 bands, 59 floats, horses, elephants and civilian and military vehicles, was in 1953, for Eisenhower's first inauguration, and took four hours and 32 minutes to pass by. Today, the limit is set at 15,000 participants. The only parade to have been cancelled was Ronald Reagan's second in 1985, when a blizzard made conditions dangerous.

The day ends with the inaugural ball, first held in 1809 and quickly becoming a highlight for Washington society. It has not always gone smoothly: in 1873, for Ulysses Grant's second inauguration, it was freezing cold and the event was held in a temporary structure without heat or insulation. The result was that guests danced in their overcoats and hats, coffee and hot chocolate quickly ran out, and the decorative canaries froze in their cages.

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson asked for the ball to be cancelled, on the grounds it was too expensive and frivolous, a precedent followed by his successor Warren Harding. Private charity balls became the fashion, until Harry Truman revived the official ball in 1949.

Demand for tickets meant a second ball was added in 1953, and by Bill Clinton's second inauguration in 1997, this had risen to 14, although Jimmy Carter proved a blip in the trend, calling them parties and charging no more than $25 a head. No such restrictions will be placed on today's festivities.

Inauguration facts

US District Judge Sarah Hughes was the first woman to administer the oath of office, to Lyndon Johnson on board Air Force One in 1963, following the assassination of John F Kennedy.

The first inaugural address to be broadcast was Calvin Coolidge's in 1925; the first to be televised was Harry Truman's in 1949.

John Adams' inaugural address contained the longest sentence, at 737 words.

In 1841, William Harrison rode to the Capitol for his swearing-in ceremony on the back of a white charger.

Tickets for the first inaugural ball, hosted by new First Lady Dolley Madison in 1809, sold for $4 each.

Warren Harding became the first president to ride in the procession in a car, in 1921; Jimmy Carter broke with tradition by walking from the Capitol to the White House in 1977.

Women first took part in the inaugural parade in 1917.

The swearing-in ceremony for the vice president took place in the Senate until 1937, when it was moved to the Capitol's east front, alongside the presidential inauguration.