6 Return Day Traditions Only Delawareans Understand
Delawareans have a whole day for putting an election behind them, and out-of-staters don’t quite get it.
They’ll happily eat free ox roast sandwiches, though.
Here are the Return Day traditions only Delawareans understand.
1. Burying the Hatchet
After the parade, political party chairs bury a hatchet in Lewes beach sand.
The sand honors Lewes, the first county seat from 1682 to 1791.
In 2024, a Libertarian Party representative joined the Republican and Democratic county chairs for the burial.
Delaware Public Media traces the hatchet idea to the way Native Americans ended their wars.
The physical hatchet and the box of symbolic sand didn’t become part of the ritual until the 1970s.
2. Riding Backward
In the Return Day carriage, the winner faces forward and the loser faces backward.
The county’s history page describes a different arrangement, with winners parading around the town circle in horse-pulled carriages while losers and party chairs buried the hatchet.
Many people who grew up with Return Day see the shared carriage as the point of the day.
3. Reading the Returns Aloud
At Return Day, the town crier reads the election results from the balcony of the Sussex County Courthouse.
Ronald F. Dodd served as town crier from 1964 to 1980.
Return Day is held on The Circle in Georgetown, two days after the general election.
4. Ox Roast Sandwiches
Return Day’s ox roast has been a custom since the 1800s.
The sandwiches are free.
Early on, Democrats favored the ox roast and Republicans favored the parade.
By 2016, the two traditions had merged and were part of Return Day no matter which party won.
In 2024, free ox roast sandwiches were served on The Circle to wrap up the day.
Visit Southern Delaware’s listing for the 2024 event said the sandwiches came fresh from an all-night open-pit barbecue.
Psst! How much do you know about Delaware’s elections and Sussex County history? Take our quiz and see how many you can get right.
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5. Carriage Parade
The 2024 parade featured bands from local high schools and trucks from several local fire departments.
World War II shortages canceled Return Day starting in 1942, and in 1948 businessman Nutter D. Marvel led the effort to revive it.
Marvel's interest in antique carriages made them prominent in the parade, and as of 2022 they're part of the Nutter D. Marvel Carriage Museum.
A 1974 program listed judging and awards for parade entries, antique cars and period attire.
The pandemic canceled it again in 2020.
6. Open-House Parties
Return Day once meant walk-in parties at homes near The Circle.
Those open houses largely became invitation-only after 1980.
The Cape Gazette describes parties for employees, family members, friends and clients as commonplace around the event.
A Holiday at Noon
Return Day is a legal holiday in Sussex County under Title 1, Section 501(a)(13) of the Delaware Code, starting after noon on the second day after the General Election.
The state's elections office listed the 2026 General Election for Nov. 3.
Delaware Public Media reported in 2022 that schools in Sussex County run only a half-day on Return Day.
Nearly every office in Georgetown is closed, too.
Where the Name Came From
Return Day got its name from the trip voters made back to Georgetown for the results.
After the state created voting districts in 1811, a Board of Canvassers still met in Georgetown two days later to announce the final election results.
The Return Day website says the date of the first Return Day is uncertain, and it points to about 1812.
Voters traveled long distances to the county seat, and area taverns welcomed them while they waited for the count.
Early hotels such as the Eagle Hotel, which dates to 1802, also welcomed visitors.
Delaware Public Media notes that Return Day came just after harvest time.
Interest started to fade a little in the 1920s and maybe the 1930s, since the telephone and telegraph meant people didn't have to come.
Why Georgetown
Return Day is held in Georgetown, the county seat since 1791.
The county's history page says the seat moved to a more central part of the county.
A Governor on a Boat
Delaware Public Media's history piece tells of Charles Stockley, a farmer and political democrat who served as governor from 1883 to 1887.
After he won, his grand parade was a boat taken out of the water and brought to the circle.
They paraded the boat around the circle with Stockley on top of it.
The point was to show he was now the Governor of the great state of Delaware.
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