The Easter Egg Roll is a tradition in Washington, DC that started in the early 1800s. It takes place on the White House lawn and includes egg hunts, stories, and meeting the Easter Bunny. The event is open to all and tickets are available for free. It was moved to the White House after being banned from the US Capitol Building. The First Family usually attends, and it is a positive public relations opportunity for the White House. Tickets can be obtained online or through organizations.
The Easter Egg Roll is an Easter Monday tradition in Washington, DC that purportedly began in the early 1800s with Dolly Madison. The event takes place on the White House lawn and includes thousands of children and their parents who descend on the White House to play, hunt eggs, hear stories and meet the Easter Bunny. Admission to the Easter Egg Roll is available to anyone with a ticket, and tickets are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis through the White House and the organizations to which the White House issues ticket blocks.
Until 1877, the Easter Egg Roll was held on the grounds of the US Capital Building. Members of Congress expressed discontent with the state of the lawns after the event, however, and banned the practice. According to legend, in 1878 President Rutherford B. Hayes, unfamiliar with the tradition, was asked by a group of children if they could use the White House lawn, since the Capitol grounds were closed to them. President Hayes agreed, and the White House Easter Egg Roll was born. Other versions of the story suggest that it may have been his wife who invited the children to play on the lawns.
Residents of the White House have continued the tradition of the Easter egg roll, with cancellations occurring only during World War I and II and during periods of extensive renovations. The Easter Egg Roll is a reminder that the White House belongs to the American people and is, as First Lady Michelle Obama once said, “the people’s home.” First Lady Nancy Reagan is known to have personally invited a little girl who had supported her husband’s political opponent during the election, illustrating that the event was open to all, regardless of political affiliation, socioeconomic class, race or from the creed.
For the White House, the Easter Egg Roll is an unbeatable public relations opportunity that usually receives positive coverage in the news. The First Family usually attends, with the President giving a speech welcoming the attendees. When children live in the White House, they often participate in egg hunts, races, and other events, and in some cases adult members of the First Family have also attended; President Grover Cleveland was the first president to attend.
People interested in attending the annual event can get tickets online as they are released by the White House. They may also be able to obtain tickets from organizations that hold ticket blocks, such as groups that promote the welfare of underserved children. Event attendees must follow the safety precautions listed on their tickets and may take home a keepsake presented by the First Family.
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