Return day
Encyclopedia
Return Day is a biennial unique festival
and ceremony held the Thursday after Election Day
in Georgetown, Delaware
, during which election results are announced.
and required that Sussex County
residents travel there in order to vote on Election Day. The votes were counted, and two days later, citizens returned to Georgetown to hear the results read.
In 1811, the Legislature established voting districts
, but results were still tallied and announced in Georgetown.
The tradition ceased in 1942 because of World War II
, but was revived ten years later.
The winner and loser of each race ride together in a horse-drawn carriage
in a parade from Sussex Central Middle School to The Circle, where they are announced and pass a reviewing stand. Other participants in the parade include current state officials, high school
marching band
s, and local pageant
winners.
" (meaning to put aside differences), the Sussex County chairmen of the Democratic
and Republican
parties meet on stage to literally bury a hatchet. The chairmen each clutch the hatchet and together plunge it into a box of sand
.
(currently W. Layton Johnson) appears on the balcony of the County Courthouse and reads the results of statewide and Sussex County elections.
Harkening back to the 19th century, when voters returning to Georgetown could dine on such fare as roast
ox
and opossum, modern Return Day festivities kick-off with a concert and ox roast. A whole ox is roasted all night in the courthouse parking lot. After the reading of the returns the next afternoon, all attendees are offered a free roast beef
sandwich
.
, who at the 2004 Return Day, wore "Ruth Ann for President" stickers .
The biggest buzz at the 2006 Return Day was caused by stickers reading "I Back Jack," handed out by Jack Markell supporters. The stickers purposely did not mention an office, allowing to continue speculation that Markell, at that time the state treasurer, would run for governor in 2008. He did run for governor and was elected.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
and ceremony held the Thursday after Election Day
Election Day (United States)
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...
in Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...
, during which election results are announced.
History
In 1791, the Delaware Legislature established Georgetown as the county seatCounty seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and required that Sussex County
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
residents travel there in order to vote on Election Day. The votes were counted, and two days later, citizens returned to Georgetown to hear the results read.
[Return Day was] one of the customs peculiar to the people of Sussex, from time immemorialTime immemorialTime immemorial is a phrase meaning time extending beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition, indefinitely ancient, "ancient beyond memory or record"...
...holding a high carnivalCarnivalCarnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
on the day when the results of the election are announced.
In 1811, the Legislature established voting districts
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
, but results were still tallied and announced in Georgetown.
The tradition ceased in 1942 because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but was revived ten years later.
Today
While television and the Internet has obviously eliminated the need for Return Day, tradition has kept the festival alive. Schools and government offices shut down for the afternoon of the Thursday after Election Day, and people from throughout the state flock to Georgetown for the festivals. The day still has a carnival atmosphere, complete with merchants, food vendors, and competitions, such as a hatchet-tossing contest, pitting the mayor of Georgetown against the mayors of other Sussex County towns.Parade
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
in a parade from Sussex Central Middle School to The Circle, where they are announced and pass a reviewing stand. Other participants in the parade include current state officials, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
s, and local pageant
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
winners.
Ceremonial burying of the hatchet
Playing off the figure of speech "to bury the hatchetHatchet
A hatchet is a single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade used to cut and split wood...
" (meaning to put aside differences), the Sussex County chairmen of the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
parties meet on stage to literally bury a hatchet. The chairmen each clutch the hatchet and together plunge it into a box of sand
Sandpit
A sandpit or sandbox is a low, wide container or shallow depression filled with sand in which children can play. Many homeowners with children build sandpits in their backyards because, unlike much playground equipment, they can be easily and cheaply constructed...
.
Reading of the returns
During the ceremony, the town crierTown crier
A town crier, or bellman, is an officer of the court who makes public pronouncements as required by the court . The crier can also be used to make public announcements in the streets...
(currently W. Layton Johnson) appears on the balcony of the County Courthouse and reads the results of statewide and Sussex County elections.
Ox roast
Roasting
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat, whether an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting usually causes caramelization or Maillard browning of the surface of the food, which is considered by some as a flavor enhancement. Roasting uses more indirect, diffused heat , and is...
ox
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
and opossum, modern Return Day festivities kick-off with a concert and ox roast. A whole ox is roasted all night in the courthouse parking lot. After the reading of the returns the next afternoon, all attendees are offered a free roast beef
Roast beef
Roast beef is a dish of beef which is roasted in an oven. Essentially prepared as a main meal, the leftovers can be and are often served within sandwiches and sometimes is used to make hash...
sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
.
Unofficial beginning of the campaign season
Return Day is used by many politicians as a way to announce or create buzz for their upcoming campaign. Politicians often hand out campaign stickers for the office they will seek in two years. Other people wear stickers exhibiting wishful thinking or encouraging their favorite candidate to seek higher office, such as supporters of Governor Ruth Ann MinnerRuth Ann Minner
Ruth Ann Minner is an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. She is a member of the Democratic Party who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delaware and two terms as the first female Governor of Delaware.-Early life...
, who at the 2004 Return Day, wore "Ruth Ann for President" stickers .
The biggest buzz at the 2006 Return Day was caused by stickers reading "I Back Jack," handed out by Jack Markell supporters. The stickers purposely did not mention an office, allowing to continue speculation that Markell, at that time the state treasurer, would run for governor in 2008. He did run for governor and was elected.