It is an annual tradition for the White House to hold an Easter egg roll the Monday after Easter, where families gather on the White House lawn to watch their children partake in a race to be the first to roll their Easter egg across the property. This annual tradition is said to have begun in 1878, which is partly true. Yes, the annual Easter egg roll began being played on the White House lawn in 1878, but the event actually dates back to 1814, when it was played on the grounds of the United States Capitol.
In 1877, a new lawn was planted on the Capitol grounds, and the Easter egg roll was canceled for fear of having the new lawn damaged. Shortly after the event’s cancellation, a group of kids approached the White House gate and asked guards if they could come in and roll their eggs on the White House lawn. The guards asked President Rutherford B. Hayes, who gave permission for the kids to come on the lawn and play.
Following the Easter egg roll’s cancellation on the Capitol grounds in 1877 and having enjoyed watching the kids play on the White House lawn, Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife, Lucy, decided to host the annual event, which would now take place on the White House lawn beginning the following year. Below is a photo from that first Easter egg roll on the White House lawn in 1878.
The color image below is a depiction of the annual White House Easter egg roll, which appeared in the April 23, 1887 publication of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.
