At his first inauguration, George Washington used the altar Bible from a nearby Masonic Lodge, and kissed it after taking the oath. But the Constitution requires simply that the president take the ...

Despite social media attention, the Constitution protects freedom of religion. So putting a hand on a Bible, or even using one at all, isn't required.

According to the White House Historical Association, George Washington began the tradition In 1789, when he borrowed a Bible from a Masonic Lodge to take his oath as the first president of the ...