Just moments before the House of Commons starts its daily sitting, a bell rings to signal the Speaker's Parade. At this point all activity stops. The Speaker's Parade begins.
Like most of the traditions of Parliament, the Speaker's Parade comes from a similar ceremony performed by the British House of Commons. The Speaker's Parade is a procession led by the Sergeant- at-Arms (bearing the mace), the Speaker accompanied by a Page, and the Clerk of the House of Commons and Table Officers. The Procession begins at the Speaker's office and goes to the House of Commons Chamber everyday the House is sitting. There is a similar procession in the Senate. This parade is based on the British tradition that may have originated in the need to protect the Speaker from harm.
Members of the House of Commons rise as the Speaker enters the Chamber and approaches the Speaker's Chair, which stands elevated at the north end of the House of Commons. The Sergeant-at-Arms places the Mace on the Clerks's Table and the Speaker reads the prayers that precede each Commons sitting. The Galleries are then open to the public and the House of Commons starts its daily business.
