Inauguration day in Virginia’s capital was bitterly cold, with a sometimes fierce wind, occasional flakes of snow, and lots of icy fingers and toes. But spirits nevertheless soared as Governor Ralph Northam, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, and Attorney General Mark Herring took their oaths of office.

Former governors and current legislators crowded onto the outdoor grandstand on Saturday morning, while supporters filled the bleachers, but many began their exodus as soon as the oaths were completed. Those who left missed a powerful benediction by Rabbi Michael Knopf of Temple Beth-El in Richmond and the solemn but colorful blessing of the ground by representatives of Virginia’s Indian tribes.

They also missed a parade bright with color and diversity, from the Virginia Military Institute Corps of Cadets to Hampton Roads Pride, and from the Chinese Lion Dance to the Cultural Center of India and Comite Pro Bolivia.

Middlesex County’s own Deborah Pratt, eight-...