What To Know About Thursday’s National Day Of Mourning For Jimmy Carter
by Molly Bohannon · ForbesTopline
President Joe Biden declared Thursday, Jan. 9, a national day of mourning to honor former President Jimmy Carter—who died at age 100 on Dec. 29, 2024—and allow the American people to “pay homage” to Carter’s memory on the day of his funeral.
Key Facts
Biden declared Thursday a national day of mourning in his proclamation first announcing Carter’s death last month in which he praised the former president as “a man of character, courage, and compassion.”
The day of mourning coincides with Carter’s state funeral, which will be held at Washington National Cathedral at 10 a.m. on Thursday and will feature eulogies from Biden and former President Gerald R. Ford, who died in 2006 but left a eulogy to be read for Carter, the New York Times reported.
Carter’s body has been lying in state at the Capitol since Tuesday, giving the public an opportunity to pay respects to the 39th U.S. president.
What Is Closed For The National Day Of Mourning?
In a Dec. 30 executive order, Biden declared all executive departments and agencies be closed unless they must remain open “for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.” The Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange will also be closed to honor Carter, and the SIFMA bond market will close at 2 p.m. EST. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts ordered the court to close Thursday. National parks will generally remain open, but multiple outlets reported their administrative offices will close.
Will The Post Office Operate On The National Day Of Mourning?
The U.S. Postal Service is suspending regular operations on Thursday, though it said in a statement there may be some limited package delivery service.
When Was The Last National Day Of Mourning?
The last national day of mourning was for former President George H. W. Bush, who died in 2018. The honor is not exclusively reserved for presidents, though—there were national days of mourning after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. It’s believed the first day of mourning took place on June 1, 1865, weeks after President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
How Long Will Flags Be At Half-Staff For Carter?
Biden ordered flags to be at half-staff at all public buildings and grounds to honor Carter for 30 days after his death. They will be lifted on Jan. 29.
Will Jimmy Carter’s Funeral Be Televised?
Yes. Carter’s funeral on Thursday will be televised on most major networks and C-SPAN.
Key Background
Carter served as president for one term from 1977 to 1981 and was known for having among the lowest approval ratings of a post-war president, behind only President-elect Donald Trump and Harry Truman. After his time as president, though, Carter was respected for his humanitarian work, including building thousands of houses for Habitat for Humanity and founding the Carter Center to address national and international issues of public policy. Carter served one term as the governor of Georgia and served four years in the Georgia state Senate before beating Ford for the presidency in 1976. His term was marked by high inflation and the Iran hostage crisis, though, and Ronald Reagen defeated him soundly when he ran for reelection in 1980. Carter had been in hospice care since February 2023, and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, died in November 2024. In October last year, Carter told his family he wanted to live long enough to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, which he did by mail.