How Bernie Sanders (and his mittens) stole the show at the US Presidential inauguration

From Kamala Harris, who made history as she became the first female Vice President of the US, the beloved Obamas, and Amanda Gorman, to Lady Gaga, who looked nothing short of royalty, the US Presidential inauguration ceremony was rife with unforgettable moments.

President Joe Biden's call for unity, peace, and belief in democracy rang far and wide, as did Amanda Gorman's now-iconic poem — The Hill We Climb. Many even compared Lady Gaga's rendition of the national anthem with Whitney Houston's epochal performance at the Super Bowl.

But it was US Senator Bernie Sanders, his colourful and very practical mittens — made by a teacher in Vermont — that stole the show on Twitter.

Starkly in contrast with the designer coats the rest of the country's political who's-who wore, Sanders looked like he wasn't having any of the gallantry and pomp, deciding to instead don a very sensible jacket, which, if pictures doing the rounds were anything to go by, he'd worn before on his campaign trail.

A civil rights activist who got arrested for protesting, Sanders has been an American favourite with his 'healthcare for all' policy.

However, that didn't deter meme-makers on the internet, who loved the casualness the senator oozed at the swearing-in ceremony. Here are some that made us, at YourStory, chuckle.

This tweet needs an award of some sort.

According to various media publications, the mittens are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece from recycled plastic bottles.

"The fact that these mittens, which were made from recycled and repurposed materials, made it to the national stage is really a shoutout to Vermont. I’m really proud that he took them to DC, and that he was there for this historic moment," Jen Eliis, the teacher who made them, told nbcboston.com in an interview.

People also commented on the brown manila folder Sanders held in his hands throughout the ceremony and said, he looked like he was out to do chores, and attending the inauguration was one of them. However, sources quoted by multiple media outlets later clarified that the envelope had his official tickets to the inauguration ceremony.

Gamification is a big theme this year, so here's one to commemorate that.

A sub-trend called 'Bernie in places' also took off on Twitter, with people inserting pictures of Sanders into movie scenes, posters, and crazy places.

Some have said the inauguration was historical in more ways than one - and we couldn't agree more!