At lavish bashes across Washington tonight, hordes of revellers will welcome the first black president of the United States.
But across the globe, there will also be songs, toasts and hollers of "So long!" to President Barack Obama's predecessor.
Call it the bye-bye Bush party.
From Moscow to Madrid to Toronto, hundreds of parties across the planet are gathering expressly to celebrate George W. Bush's exit from the White House.
"It's all about heaving a sigh of relief and popping some champagne," said Jeff Metzger, co-host of a Bush Retirement Party at a bar in Austin, Tex.
Light in spirit and heavy on humour, many parties will pay homage to some of the Bush Administration's most memorable moments.
A multinational crew of expats are gathering at Laura Stagl's Moscow apartment, where the newspaper editor from Toronto will serve "Freedom Martinis" made out of Russian vodka and a French fry.
Friends have been asked to dress up as characters from the past eight years - Hans Blix and Harry Whittington, Dick Cheney's unfortunate hunting partner, have already RSVP'd. For kicks, Ms. Stagle said, "we're going to play YouTube clips of George Bush's greatest speeches."
Stars as disparate as Jay-Z and the Jonas Brothers have serenaded revellers in the three-day celebrations to welcome Mr. Obama. Not to be outdone, Mr. Metzger and his friends in Austin hired a few bands to draw in more than 600 guests.
"We've also hired an awesome Bush impersonator," said Mr. Metzger, 32.
Hundreds of public and private bashes like these are taking place in locales as far-flung as Iceland, according to Bushbyebyeparty.com, a website that allows people to post their party and location on a Google map.
Although the site's administrators can't guarantee every party is legit, more than 1,200 events had been posted as of yesterday.
The site provides garlands and party favours one can download free, such as Osama bin Laden masks and giant red hands that can be used to wave farewell.
The site's popularity isn't surprising considering Mr. Bush's notoriety, said Alex Baixas, who helped design the site with Spanish marketing and advertising firm Shackleton Group.
Love him or hate him, he said, the man has produced no end of headlines over the past eight years, whether for his foreign policies or his curious vocabulary. "I think it's nice just to say goodbye."
Other websites have sprung up to cash in on the moment. On Byedubya.com, users are invited to type a farewell message to Mr. Bush, which will be printed out and delivered to him, according to the website. Video messages will also be compiled and posted on YouTube.
At Georgieisouttahere.com, $39.95 will get you a "Party Box!" filled with balloons and hats illustrated with a caricature of the president. It also includes a tablecloth printed with famous Bushisms, such as: "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
"I had so many; it was hard to narrow it down," said Jorge Hernandez, the Los Angeles resident who launched the site in September. (He would not say how many boxes have been sold.)
Mr. Obama's ascent to office may be icing on the cake, but many party organizers say they'd be celebrating tonight no matter who was moving into the White House.
"Even a Republican could have been elected," said Mr. Metzger, who began planning his party with friends a year ago, long before Barack Obama's victory seemed plausible.
One might expect this to be a bittersweet gig for the party's main act, however. Actor and comedian Kerry Fitzgerald has had no end of material since he began impersonating Mr. Bush when he was still governor of Texas.
But he's come to terms with this end of an era. After all, he says, he didn't vote for the guy.
"I've been doing him every weekend for 10 years," he said. "Believe me, I'm sick of him myself."
