Delaware politicians are known for their civility and a spirit of compromise. It traces back to one of the state’s oldest traditions: Return Day, an 18th-century ritual that includes a carriage ride, a town crier, and a hatchet that literally gets buried in the sand. It usually occurs every two years and attracts the state’s leading elected officials, though the coronavirus limited the celebration this year.

Still, President-Elect Joe Biden is a fan of Return Day and seldom misses one. 

How have Return Day and Delaware’s unique brand of politics shaped Biden? And will he be able to carry Delaware’s ideals to the White House?

Our guest, Mark Eichmann, deputy managing editor of WHYY’s Delaware desk, explains this historic Delaware tradition.