There were many tears and much laughter. There was some sadness and a lot of pride. A sense of melancholy and optimism also pervaded the day.
Certainly, the inauguration of South Africa's second democratic President was an occasion of many mixed emotions.
Because as Mr Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki was sworn into the highest office in the land in a ceremony of splendour and confidence, the nation also said a sad farewell to Nelson Mandela, the man who had led them to this democratic reality, the legend at the heart of the peaceful transition which has made this democracy so proud.
Praise singers, dressed in skins and feathers, pranced across the stage, lauding the old and welcoming the new. They heralded the changing guard in song and poetry and dance.
While 30 heads of state - including the President, Mrs McAleese - and dignitaries from about 130 countries looked on, this new democracy came of age.
And moments after the President-elect had vowed to promote and protect the interests of all South Africans, people burst into song and fighter jets painted in the colours of the South African flag shot by.
A 21-gun salute bellowed across the city as the praise singers screamed louder and the crowd stood happily entranced by this truly South African scenario.
But it was a poignant moment indeed as a smiling Nelson Mandela clasped the hand of the new President and raised it high above his head to the watching crowd.
There were cheers from the 4,500 dignitaries invited to attend and a loud roar erupted from the lawns of the majestic Union Buildings where tens of thousands had gathered to watch the ceremony on a huge screen.
Several of the VIPs who had taken the same seats in the inner sanctum of the Union Buildings arena five years ago looked visibly moved. Journalists were silent for a brief moment as the immensity of the occasion began to sink in.
This was the passing of an era. This was a farewell not only to Madiba, the legend, the father of the nation, but to a generation of liberation leaders, a generation, which as the new President noted in his inauguration address, "took us from the abyss" and put us on the "pedestal of hope" we have today.
Indeed, the day, said Mr Mbeki, was a salute to that generation which had fought against everything "mean and ugly" and had won.
Referring specifically to the extraordinary contribution of his own idol and mentor Oliver Tambo, he welcomed the presence of many others. Oliver Tambo's widow, Adelaide, was there, struggling to her seat on crutches after a recent accident.
ANC veteran and father of the incoming leader, Govan Mbeki, sat proudly on the podium with wife Ma Mofokeng, a clear testament to the life of struggle and commitment into which the new President had been born.
And long-time activists Walter and Albertina Sisulu climbed the steps slowly together to watch the historic swearing-in of South Africa's second new democratic leader.
They too, it seemed, had finally come of age.
"No one can begin to understand their feelings" as they see this country they fought so hard for enter into its sixth year, said President Mbeki. What we do know, he went on, is that we owe "all that is noble and beautiful in the actions of our people" to these "titans". They "planted a legacy" which lives on.
There was an understandable air of nostalgia. Yet, at the same time, a feeling of confidence and achievement had already taken hold.
"With the passing of Mandela, we take an important step in the democratic process and we should see it in that positive light," said Dr Greg Mills, of the South African Institute of International Affairs.
This is not a new era in that sense, stressed former Gauteng Premier Tokyo Sexwale, this is a continuation of the work started years ago.
Because this bitter-sweet event was not just an emotional farewell to times gone by. It was far more than that. This was the formal accession of the back-to-work President. The ceremony, for all its emotion, was a relatively humble, no-nonsense affair - a Thabo-like occasion.
His first cabinet is already scheduled for this morning and his focus is firmly on delivery. This is the man, as he said in his speech, who is "haunted by the humiliating suffering" of his people.
This is the man who is committed to alleviating the "degrading poverty" of the masses.
As the new light comes up on the land, he wants to show "a nation diligently trying to create a better life for itself".
And he is proudly part of a new generation which believes it can do just that. A generation which is a symbol of hope for the entire continent.
Nigeria's newly-elected President Obasanjo listened intently as the new South African leader talked of "emerging out of a dreadful century".
But looking to the future, he called for a move away from a past which constantly tries to "pull us backwards" and to turn "despair into hope".
"We share a common destiny," he said to his critics, quashing the notion of his lack of commitment to reconciliation and racial harmony, "regardless of the shape of our noses." For Mr Mbeki, Africa's time has come. Faranani say the inauguration posters - a rallying cry towards the African century.
And the people agreed. "Viva South Africa, viva Africa," chanted the tens of thousands of young people celebrating Youth Day some 23 years after the Soweto uprisings.
"Long live Mbeki, long live," they cried as the two presidents addressed the people's concert.
And, in a fitting tribute to the day as the two men moved off the stage, a new chant became louder and clearer.
"Siyabonga Madiba, Siyabonga," they shouted.
Thank you, Mandela, thank you.