President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the Easter Egg Roll back to the White House Monday— the first since before the coronavirus pandemic.
The First Lady, who has been a teacher for more than 30 years, created the 2022 theme, dubbing it as the White House Easter "EGGucation" Roll.
"We weren't able to host this Easter Egg Roll last year because of the pandemic," the president said Monday morning. "But this year, this year, we're finally getting together again and [it's] so special, it means, it means so much to see and hear the children and all the families show up to be here today."
He added that the "joy and the laughter is something that has been a wonderful tradition here at the White House for a long time."
"Have fun today," the president said. "Welcome to the White House. Welcome to your house."
For this year's event, the first lady transformed the White House’s South Lawn into a school community, which a White House official said will be "full of fun educational activities for children to enjoy."
"The president and I are so excited that you are here as your first lady and as a teacher," the first lady said. "I've seen again and again that learning doesn't only happen in a classroom. There are so many fun opportunities to learn around us every day. And that's especially true here at the White House."
"For generations, presidents and first ladies and kids just like you, celebrated the Easter Egg Roll together, racing and making crafts, reading books. And of course, meeting the Easter Bunny," the first lady said, adding that "the determined spirit of education" is what the first couple "wanted to honor in this Easter Egg Roll."
President Joe Biden appears with first lady Jill Biden and the Easter Bunny on the Blue Room balcony at the White House April 5, 2021, in Washington. The White House Easter Egg Roll is returning on April 18, 2022, after a 2-year, COVID-induced hiatus. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, FilE)
In addition to the time-honored tradition of rolling and hunting eggs at the White House, the 2022 event will also feature a "School House Activity Area," a reading nook, a talent show, a "field trip to the Farm," picture day, a "physical EGGucation Zone," a cafeteria and more.
Approximately 30,000 people are expected to take part in Monday’s event, including thousands of military families and crew members from the USS DELAWARE— the U.S. Naval Submarine that the First Lady sponsors.
President Joe Biden appears with first lady Jill Biden and the Easter Bunny on the Blue Room balcony at the White House on April 5, 2021, in Washington. The White House Easter Egg Roll is returning on April 18, 2022, after a 2-year, COVID-induced hiatus. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Tickets for the event were distributed to members of the public across the nation through an online public lottery.
The event dates back to the 1870s, but the National Park Service said that it was Capitol Hill that had become a popular spot for children to roll eggs—and themselves—down the Hill on Easter Monday.
The popularity of the event took a toll on the Capitol grounds, the National Park Service said, leading to an 1876 measure passed by Congress that forbids the Capitol grounds to be used as a children’s playground.
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It was in 1878 that President Rutherford B. Hayes issued an order that allowed children to come to the White House to roll their eggs.
The tradition has been carried out since then, except 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
GREENSBORO, USA - APRIL 14: US President Joe Biden delivering remarks on his Administrationâs efforts to make more in America, rebuild our supply chains here at home, and bring down costs for the American people as part of Building a Better America in Greensboro, NC, on April 14, 2022. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In addition to the "EGGucation" activities, the event will feature the "tradition that started it all"--children using wooden spoons to roll colorful Easter eggs in a race across the South Lawn at the White House.
Children will also run to find hidden eggs, collect special prizes, and enjoy special performances from the likes of "Sesame Street Live," singer-songwriter Sofia Carson, "The President's Own" United States Marine Corps Band, the U.S. Air Force Band, the U.S. Army Band and the U.S. Navy Band.
A White House official said Disney characters from Coco and Doc McStuffins; Dr. Seuss characters like Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2; Peanuts characters Snoopy and Charlie Brown; Sesame Street characters; and more will be strolling the White House grounds throughout the day.
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