April 12, 2022 – Theme Week Day 2

We’re continuing our Easter theme week today with the White House Easter Egg Roll! It’s held every year on Easter Monday and hosted by POTUS & FLOTUS.
Dolley Madison may have originally proposed the idea of an Easter egg roll in 1810, but the first official event was held in 1878. In 1876, around 10,000 kids who were enjoying a day off from school descended on the grounds of the Capitol. They had all come to carry on a tradition that was popular in Washington, D.C. at the time – rolling hard boiled eggs down the hills of the capital to see which ones could travel the farthest without breaking. There was just one problem: the rambunctious egg rollers destroyed much of the grass at the Capitol. So Congress effectively said “Get off my lawn!” and passed the Turf Protection Law, which made it illegal for the capitol grounds to be used as a playground.
In 1878, a group of precocious children noticed that the South Lawn at the White House would be a perfect place for their egg rolls. So they walked right through the gates and asked about the possibility. This was a different time, for sure! President Rutherford B. Hayes told his guards to let them in, and from that year on, the egg roll became an annual White House Tradition.
The Easter egg roll wouldn’t be complete without an appearance by the Easter Bunny. Pat Nixon was the first to introduce the idea in 1969. The White House staffer inside the bunny suit is usually kept a secret – but Sean Spicer recently revealed that he was the White House Easter Bunny during George W. Bush’s administration.
The event has grown into more than just the traditional egg roll. The Reagan’s added Broadway performances and balloons from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to the event. They also had an Easter egg hunt for wooden eggs that were autographed by celebrities, sports stars, and politicians. Since then, wooden eggs have been given out as keepsakes to all the egg roll participants. Today, it’s one of the biggest events held at the White House, and it’s making it’s return this year after a 2 year hiatus due to COVID-19. Learn more here.