The White House hosted its annual Easter Egg Roll on Monday, after rainy weather delayed the event by about 90 minutes.
First lady Jill Biden, who teaches English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, set a theme of “EGGucation” for the festivities, which included rolling eggs on the South Lawn, an egg hunt, an obstacle course, educational activities and performances.
The White House said it expected 40,000 people to participate, which is 10,000 more than last year. Thousands of the egg roll guests included military and veterans’ families, military survivors and caregivers. The general public claimed their egg roll tickets through an online lottery system.
From the White House balcony, President Joe Biden spoke to attendees about the meaning of Easter, saying the holiday “reminds us of the power of hope and renewal, and sacrifice and resurrection.”
“That’s what I see in our country. We’re a great nation because we’re a good people,” he said.
In addition to the egg roll, a temporary schoolhouse was erected, offering activities focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“The South Lawn is transforming into our learning playground and school community,” the first lady said, adding that as a teacher, “I love any time when we can turn the White House into a classroom.”
The annual tradition began in 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes invited children to the White House lawn to roll Easter eggs after they were barred from the U.S. Capitol grounds.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.
