White House Easter Egg Roll

To many, the White House Easter Egg Roll is a joyful American tradition. However, things weren't always so "joyful."

The first press account of an organized Easter Egg Roll was in 1872 on Capitol Hill. Between 1872 and 1875, the annual Easter Egg Roll practically destroyed the Capitol grounds. And in 1876, members of Congress proposed a bill banning "egg-rolling" at the Capitol. The "Turf Protection Law of 1876" was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on April 21, 1876 and enforced by police in 1878 (no Easter Egg Rollers showed up in 1877 due to rain).

Reluctant to face thousands of upset children (including his own), President Rutherford B. Hayes decided to allow the event to be held on the South Lawn of the White House. Since then, the Easter Egg Roll has been held at the White House nearly every Easter Monday.

Over the past 100+ years, the White House has had thousands of visitors on this day. So to keep things orderly, Easter Egg Roll tickets are now distributed through an online lottery system. This year's 30,000 winners will head to the White House's South Lawn on Monday, April 25, 2011 between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. First Lady Michelle Obama's theme for this year's event is: Get Up and Go!.

To read more about the history of the Easter Egg Roll, see this National Archives' article.