Do you get a day off when a president dies? Meaning of National Day of Mourning
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JIMMY Carter's death marked the first time in over six years the United States will mourn the loss of a former president. Carter, the 39th president of the United States, was 100 years old when he died at his estate in Plains, Georgia, on the afternoon of December 29, 2024.
![[If a president dies in office, their casket may lie in repose at the White House]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/NINTCHDBPICT000519106151.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
At the direction of the President Joe Biden, a state funeral will be held in memory of Carter. The last state funeral to take place in the United States for a former commander-in-chief was in 2018 when George H.W. Bush, the 41st president, died on November 30, 2018.
![[The incumbent US president orders all flags to be flown at half-mast for 30 days after the death of a former president]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/birds-fly-past-flag-half-960603044.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
There are a number of procedures that follow the death of a former president of the United States. Federal law requires all government buildings, public schools, offices, and military bases to lower their flags half-mast for 30 days after the death of a former president.
Under an executive order of the incumbent US President, all federal buildings, agencies, and departments are authorized to close for a public day of mourning. All federal employees would still be paid for the day off. A seven to 10-day ceremony state funeral honoring the former president is held.
The ceremony consists of three stages, including ceremonies in the former president's home state, ceremonies in Washington DC, and ceremonies in the state where the former president would like to be interred. A president will plan their funeral during their first days in office, and their family will largely coordinate the day when it comes.
