Return Day Delaware in the United States

Return Day is a traditional festival for the state of Delaware that is held on the Thursday after Election Day in November. It can fall on or around November 4 every other year to celebrate the announcement of the election results in Georgetown, Delaware.

What Do People Do?

Many people travel to Georgetown, Delaware for the celebration of Return Day. The festivities start with a concert and a traditional free ox roast in the town circle. The festival events include food vendors, competitions, musical entertainment, arts and crafts, and a parade of the winning and losing candidates from both parties.

The candidates ride in horse pulled carriages or antique cars around the town circle, followed by the ceremonial “bury the hatchet” – where the Sussex County chairmen of the Democratic and Republican parties meet on stage, clutch the hatchet and together plunge it into a box of sand from Lewes – that signifies the end of the competition. The town crier reads the results of the statewide and Sussex County elections during the ceremony, and afterward all attendees receive a free roast beef sandwich.

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/return-day-delaware