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Hatchet is buried during Return Day
Unique tradition dates back to the late 1790s
Sussex County party leaders bury the ceremonial hatchet in Lewes Beach sand. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
November 17, 2016
Georgetown Town Crier Kirk Lawson reads election results from the Sussex County Courthouse. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Sussex County party leaders gather to bury the hatchet to end the 2016 campaign. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Rosalie Walls, who served as president of the Return Day Committee for 26 years, is the 2016 parade grand marshal. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Democrat House Speaker 14th District Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf smiles and waves to the crowd. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
As other mayors and spectators look on, Ocean View Mayor Walt Curan throws the winning hatchet toss. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
District 3 Sussex County Councilman-Elect I.G. Burton and his wife, Jullie, wave to the crowd. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Republican Rep. Steve Smyk, who recaptured his 20th District seat, recognizes a face in the large Return Day parade crowd. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Republican 37th District Rep. Ruth Briggs King has won another two-year seat. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Newly elected Democrats, Bethany Hall-Long, lieutenant governor, left, and Lisa Blunt Rochester, U.S. Congress, share the Return Day stage. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Former Delaware congressman and governor Mike Castle, left, walks along the parade route with Sen. Tom Carper. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Democrat Governor-Elect John Carney gives a thumbs up to the large Return Day crowd. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Sussex Dance Academy dancers perform on The Circle to the song “Rise Up.” RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Ballerina Meoghan Swain, a member of Sussex Dance Academy, dances a solo selection. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Cheyenne Wright of the Nanticoke tribe demonstrates her dance skills. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Carla Walls, granddaughter of former Return Day Committee President Rosalie Walls, is the event’s ambassador. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Delaware Treasurer Ken Simpler rides in a fancy carriage. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The Delaware State College Approaching Storm Band marches around The Circle. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Herman Jackson, left, and Mike Harmon of the Nanticoke tribe dance a traditional men’s dance on the Return Day stage. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Members of the Nanticoke tribe gather Return Day attendees to join them in dance on The Circle. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
President-Elect Donald Trump committee members hand out signs along the parade route. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Megan Sterling of Millsboro lets her political persuasion known as she waits for the parade to start. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Jim Bowden, vice president of the Return Day Committee, has antique handcuffs ready for people who call the event “Returns Day.” RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Red, white and blue are the colors of the day on The Circle during Return Day. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Sussex County Sheriff Bob Lee rides in a miniature stagecoach, one of the most unique vehicles in the parade. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Students carry a large U.S. flag amid cheers from a large crowd around The Circle. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The Cape Henlopen High School Band performs for the judges during the parade. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Republican 41st District Rep. Rich Collins, left, and challenger Brad Connor ride together in a carriage. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Grace Otley, Delaware’s Distinguished Young Woman, delights the crowd with her rendition of “Wagon Wheel.” RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Jenna Anger, a dancer with Sussex Dance Academy, performs a tap routine on The Circle. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
With the Sussex County Courthouse in the background, Sussex Dance Academy dancers perform. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Sussex Dance Academy dancers add style and grace to the festivities. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Sussex County party leaders bury the ceremonial hatchet in Lewes Beach sand. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
One of the long-standing Return Day traditions is the ox roast on The Circle. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The Sweet 16 Delaware State University troupe uses flags in their performance. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Sussex County Sheriff Bob Lee is dressed the part of a western lawman. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Miss Delaware Amanda Debus, who lives in Middletown and is a senior at the University of Delaware, is enjoying the parade. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Bebee Healthcare celebrates its 100th anniversary with a huge float. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Little Miss Apple Scrapple Juliette Anger of Bridgeville, left, and Leah Marvel of Ellendale recite The Pledge of Allegiance. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
David Nardone of Bear is dressed in a 1st Delaware Regiment colonial uniform. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Nanticoke Chief Natasha Norwood Carmine, left, stands with dancers Boe Harris and Cheyenne Wright. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Nanticoke Mike Harmon takes the stage as he prepares to dance. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
This is the first Return Day Debbie Jones has served as president of the committee. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The Sussex Technical High School Band Ravens Nation is always a crowd favorite. The band is preparing to perform at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Members of Coastal Martial Arts show off their skills. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
State Rep. David Wilson, R-Lincoln, waves the flag as he rides in the parade. MADDY LAURIA PHOTO
State Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, is all smiles in the Return Day parade. MADDY LAURIA PHOTO
The Sussex County chairpeople bury the hatchet in sand that’s been brought from Lewes, because that was the first county seat, said Rosalie Walls, former Queen of Return Day. “That’s supposed to get rid of all the bad things they’ve said about each other. Whether it happens or not, I’m not sure.”
Watch the rest of her interview on our Behind The Scenes: Return Day video.
