Every year the US President hosts up families on the White House lawns for an Easter extravaganza.
Last year’s activities included a Best Hopscotch competition, play garden, a reading nook, Best Military Card Writing Station and more.
But the crown jewel of the event every year in the White House Easter Egg Roll and Egg Hunt. First Lady Melania Trump announced the details for the 148th White House Easter Egg Roll which is set to take place on Monday, April 6 in Washington.
This year, the White House Easter Egg Roll will honor America’s 250th birthday by incorporating patriotic themes throughout the event and each year there is a ticket lottery for people to apply to join in.
The event sees children given wooden eggs to partake in a host of games and activities from rolling competitions to egg races on the lawns of the White House.
Here’s everything we know about the tradition.
What is the White House Easter Egg Roll?
The White House Easter Egg Roll is a historic annual event held on the South Lawn on Easter Monday for children aged 13 and younger, featuring egg rolling races, games, and entertainment.
It is one of the oldest annual events at the White House. Newspaper accounts from as early as 1872 recount stories of children of all ages joining together to roll eggs on the west side of the Presidential Capitol grounds.
But it all came to an end when families and their children apparently caused such a ruckus on the congressional grounds in 1876 that the Turf Protection Law was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant citing landscape concerns and stopping the grounds from being used for egg rolling fun.
The egg rolling party was rained out in 1876 and in 1878 notice was posted that children would not be allowed to roll eggs at the Capitol.
In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes instructed his guards to let the youngsters through the gates again after becoming aware of their disappointment.
From then - and barring times of war - an annual egg rolling event has been held on the South Lawn.
Also read: White House renovations: What exactly is Trump changing?
