White House is putting on traditional Easter Egg Roll
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Gray News) - The White House is holding its annual Easter Egg Roll Monday, a tradition since the 1800s.
First lady Dr. Jill Biden, a career educator, gave the 144th event the theme of “EGGucation,” and the grounds of the White House have been transformed into a school community, full of fun and educational activities, the White House said.
The start of the event was delayed for 90 minutes because of thunder and lightning in the area, the Associated Press reported.
“Easter reminds us of the power of hope and renewal, and sacrifice and resurrection,” President Joe Biden told attendees, speaking from the White House balcony, where he was flanked by two large Easter bunnies, one wearing sunglasses like his. “But mainly love and grace towards one another.”
Biden said this year’s egg roll was a time to “cherish the blessings, the possibilities that we have as Americans.”
“That’s what I see in our country. We’re a great nation because we’re a good people,” he said. “Our values are solid.”
The president then headed out on the lawn, bending down to help a few youngsters with their eggs.
The American Egg Board, on behalf of America’s egg farmers, presented the 2024 First Lady’s Commemorative Egg to the first lady.
The special egg design, which features two eggs surrounded by smaller eggs, was handcrafted by master egg artist Carolyn Bickel from Nashville and “honors Dr. Biden’s passion for education and inspiring future leaders of all ages. This year’s one-of-a-kind design celebrates the power of education, imagination, and dreams for the future,” the American Egg Board said.
About 40,000 are expected to take part in this year’s event, the White House said, including thousands of military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors. The general public’s tickets were distributed through an online public lottery.
The events will be broken into nine sessions, beginning at 7 a.m. and lasting until 7 p.m.
The White House event dates back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hays first welcomed children onto the White House grounds.
Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.